JACKROSE
by k.suga
Summary: Rei is a hard-working college student with a part-time job and no sense of fashion. However, when Kai comes to the other Bladebreakers with a proposal, will that all change? Set after the last tournament. KaixRei, BryanxTala
1. Chocolate banana

_Thank you for giving my story a chance :) Well, I've worked hard on it so far. I'll be updating every Saturday unless something comes up to where I absolutley cannot update. All of the locations I use are actual places i have looked up and they are as accurate as i can make them._

_Again, thank you. Please enjoy!~_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, Takao Aoki does. Nor do I own the actual places I use in the story._**

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_Tap tap tap tap…. Tap tap tap tap…. Tap tap tap tap…._

What's that weird tapping? Oh that's my hand. No! No fidgeting allowed! Fidgeting means that I can't think of anything to write. Come on Rei! Get those brain juices flowing! Ew brain juice. I hope they don't try to market that as some kind of energy drink… I need to get to work, this paper isn't going to write itself. I wish it would though. That would be great! Computers that could write whole essays for you to take complete credit for! This, my friend, is a perfect world. No one would even have to touch a keyboard, like the one I am currently touching. Wow have my hands always been this small? They look so dinky compared to the rest of the laptop and….

I _really _need to write this paper….

Well hello there inner monologue! I didn't see you there in the dark crevices of my mind. What are you doing behind the Christmas decorations? Well let me clear some things up. My name is Rei Kon, college student majoring in international affairs, ex-member of the Bladebreakers, 19 years old, and currently writing a research paper on, well, international affairs.

How does that old bat of a professor expect ten whole pages on the subject? There isn't even a textbook out there with ten pages on international affairs. Give me an American housewife cheating on her husband with a Brazilian. Now _that _is an international affair!

Well, as I was saying earlier, the Bladebreakers have retired from BBA tournaments. It has been almost a year now. Tyson has opened his dojo to train the next generations on how to improve their beyblading skills (and kendo skills to appease grandpa G). He and Max are both attending Musashi University. Max continues to run his father's shop out of school hours. He and Tyson have kind of partnered together to help the youngsters improve all aspects of their beyblading.

Kenny, being our little egg-head with glasses, began a study abroad program with Tokyo University right out of high school. Apparently he was offered a full scholarship before he graduated. He is studying in America, and he swears it is so he can improve his English. Yeah right. We all know it's so he can go visit the PPB headquarters whenever he wants. Judy would let him too.

As for me, I surprised everyone by getting into Tokyo University as well. I can't say that I wasn't offended by the complete shock on everyone's face when I received my letter. What? No one thinks I have brains in anything other than beyblading? I traveled the world dammit! No one could possibly know more than I do! Well you don't learn how to write essays by traveling the world, but that stuff is easy to master…. After a while….. whatever….

And Kai? Well, he's around….. Somewhere. Oh hell I don't know where he went! Sometimes he drops a line just to let us know he's not lying in a ditch with stray cats eating his eyeballs. He could be calling me from right outside my window and I wouldn't know any better! It would be even scarier if he was calling me from inside my apartment! Just like that one movie, about the white girl that was babysitting those kids and the killer gets in the house…. Was anyone else bothered by the fact that she never thought to check on the kids?

Maybe I should start seeing a therapist. I'm pretty sure talking to yourself and waiting for a reply isn't normal.

_I'll back off so you can liveThat is all I can sayI'll forget you so you can live better~_

I like this song… it's so pretty and the singer's voice is so nice and oh that's my ringtone. I pick up my Docomo and check who's calling. Well there's a number I don't recognize. This should be interesting. How do I answer again? Oh yea, push the button that says "answer". Been typing too long haven't you Rei?

"Hello. This is Rei."

"Hey." Someone check my pulse because I think my stomach just dropped out of my ass and jumped off the balcony. I know this voice anywhere.

"Kai… it's been a while," approximately two months, three days, and… five hours. It's not like I was _waiting _for his call or anything…

"It has.." ….. Oh Kai. Ever the conversationalist. Guess I'm steering this one… again. Let's see..

"_How have you been?" _

"_Alright." _

"_Well as long as you're alive." (insert casual chuckle)_

"_Same for you." (insert awkward silence) _

"_Well if that's all I've got some work to finish." _

"_Ok. Bye." _

"_Bye."… _Yup. That seems about right. That's how it usually carries out anyway. So here goes.

"How have you been?"

"Alright." as expected…

"Well as long as you're alive." I follow this up with my friendliest laugh as per usual.

"Same for you." And here it comes, the dreaded silence… wait a couple more seconds… annnd time for the closer!

"Well if that's all-"

"There is something else." This….. Is new… someone give me a line!

"Ah sure, what is it Kai?" Good enough.

"I might be coming back to Japan sometime soon. If I do, I need to rely on you, all of you, for something." Wait wait wait wait, BACK to Japan? When did he leave?

"You mean you left the country? When? And where are you now? What do you mean 'might' come back?" I'm sure my onslaught of questions doesn't give away my surprise.

"It doesn't matter…" no one can answer multiple questions with one statement like our Kai! "Rei can I count on you?"

Like a calculator! "Sure Kai." That works too.

"Thanks. Bye." That click must mean he hung up. Doesn't even wait for my goodbye! Asshole… I wonder what he needs from me…

I'm not worried though. I would give one of my arms, or both, if Kai needed me to. No questions asked! You don't ask questions when someone as hot as Kai tells you to do something. Especially if he was asking for a favor…. A _special_ favor. Hell he could barge in right now and screw me on my desk until this damned paper is due and I wouldn't think twice about it. I wonder if he likes role play…

Oh did I forget to mention that? Let me take you back a couple realizations.

I, Rei Kon, am gay. Extremely. I'm more flaming than an 80-year-old's birthday cake! I've got a summer home in my closet somewhere in Narnia! I piss rainbows and watch interior design shows and, yeah. You get the picture.

But that's not all. I'm in love…

With none other than Kai Hiwatari himself. Yeah, I'm asking for it.

_Tap tap tap tap…. Tap tap tap tap…. Tap tap tap tap…._

I need coffee.

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"Hey sweetie, got a minute?"

This is what I get for retiring from beyblading. No tournaments means no publicity. No publicity means no one sees my face anywhere. No one seeing my face means people forget what I look like. People forgetting what I look like means people forgetting my long hair. All of this leads to creepy guys mistaking me for a girl and throwing pick-up lines my way. Beyblading had more benefits than I thought.

I ignore the creeper and continue on my way to my part-time job. Luckily beyblading also left me with enough popularity to get me a job. The manager took one look at me and practically gave himself a hernia trying to find something for me to sign. I was hired before I filled out the application!

Ego aside, I work in the care-free cafeteria at the Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya. It's an easy job and the older ladies love me. Plus, I can check out the hot guys for longer periods of time than the clothing stores. They have to actually sit and eat their food! Plenty of time for guy hunting! Too gay? Sorry, I'll tone it down.

Stepping through the glass doors I'm hit with the familiar scent of, well, Tokyu. They sell everything from clothes to bedding! All that merchandise creates a scent that can only be a department store. The smell is comforting after a boring day at Tokyo U.

"Rei-hun~ How were your classes? Did they give you too much work?" Ah sweet-ol' Sachiko, one of the cafeteria workers. Worries over me like my own mother.

"They were fine Mrs. Nakamura." Lies. "I didn't receive as much work today." All lies. I received three more papers and a presentation assignment. Plus, Professor Tashiro or, as I like to call her, Dragon-Lady harassed me again because I pronounced "established" with too much of a Chinese accent. Sorry that I _am_ Chinese! But I won't tell Sachiko all this. Why bring down her mood? She didn't do anything to me.

"Oh that's good to hear! Hurry and get dressed now! Your shift is almost starting." Oh really? That explains why I'm here at this time. I offer her a smile before she hurries toward her work station. True fact: she makes the best crepes anywhere!

While in the locker room my mind starts to wander. It does that a lot. I should invest in a leash.

… I wonder when Kai is coming… _if _Kai is coming at all. What does Kai need me for? It sounded important to Kai. Or else Kai wouldn't have called… It's been two weeks since Kai called but nothing since. Blah blah Kai blah blah blah Kai blah Kai…Yeah my mind is a difficult thing to decipher.

I quickly braid my knee-length hair and pull it into a messy bun on top of my head. Then I cover it with the chef's hat they provided all of the cafeteria workers. One last mirror check.. Yeah, I'm adorable.

I make my way out of the locker room and through the kitchen when I catch sight of something delicious. Someone prepared a chocolate mousse cake for today's dessert special! I want it… It's calling me! Rei~ grab a knife and cut a slice! Forget your strife, I'm super nice!

"_Ahem!"_

That sounded angry! Must be directed towards me. Turning, I come face-to-face with the head chef, Sergeant Tanaka. I call him sergeant because he runs this kitchen like a Naval battleship. I swear he must have been in the military at some point.

Sergeant Grumpy is still leaning over me and breathing heavily. Me thinks he doesn't want me touching the cake. Or he doesn't like me even more today. Sergeant Grumpy hasn't liked me since I got this job and took away all of his admirers (ie: the old ladies that work here). Apparently, before I got here, he was the stove stud or whatever. I think it's all the muscle.

Giving my fakest innocent smile I hustle out of that kitchen as fast as I could. Good timing too. The dinner rush would be starting soon. And it's a Saturday. May the gods spare me today.

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I. Am. Exhausted!

Nothing but a continuous flow of teenagers stopping by after school before the weekend. Nothing but constantly chattering girls and no-good guys for the past 3 hours! Why are they eating so much anyway? Don't your families feed you?

A group of three high school girls stop in front of my station. They're looking at the menu but they keep turning away and giggling to each other about whatever they were talking about. Great. I know they're type. They'll stand there and giggle and talk about the different things on the menu but won't really choose anything. Then one of them will think they want to try something but the others in the group will shoot down her idea because the item is either too expensive, too fattening, or better somewhere else. They will then continue to flock and giggle until whoever is behind them gets pissed and orders ahead of them. They will then decide that whatever this person gets is exactly what _all_ of them want to eat. I'm in no mood for this.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" I hope that sounded polite enough. I guess the group of pigeons just noticed that, hey, there's an actual guy waiting for us to make a damn decision! What are the odds? They look at me and then look back at each other before they… start giggling again! And this is why I'm gay.

Ok plan B. "May I recommend the Mongolian beef with broccoli or the vegetable stir-fry? They are fresh out of the kitchen." Perfect. Both are delicious, not fattening, and freshly cooked. Now they have no choice!

To my relief, one of the girls mentions that she likes vegetable stir-fry. Yes! Convert, all of you!

"But even though it's vegetables it's still stir-fried. It's greasy…" Ironically, the chubbiest girl is the one who says this. Well, go back to the pastures and munch on your grass then Bessy. Great, they've gone back to giggling. I've had about all I can take.

"Look! I'm tired! I'm hungry! Just pick something or leave!"

The group of pigeons are dumbfounded (along with a few people at the surrounding tables). The smart one, who wanted the stir-fry, suggests they eat at her house and they turn to leave. The fat one gives me a pissed-off look before leaving in a huff. Believe me, if I could get my hands around your bloated neck, I would choke you little girl!

"Rei-sweetie~ Don't worry about them, they're just silly teenagers. Mrs. Nakamura made you a crepe. Take a short break!" Fujiyama you are an ANGEL! I feel bad for having shown an angry side to my co-workers, and during work no less. But they still treat me like their own son! What would I do without these middle-aged saints? I thank her quickly and take the crepe to a nearby table. Hmm let's see what flavor.. Yes! Chocolate-banana! She knows my favorite! Now time to sit and devour- uh enjoy.

…

That's strange, I don't remember there being someone at this table when I sat down. No wait, they sat down after me. Get away from my crepe! Go get your own! They haven't said anything yet, and I feel eyes on me. I think it's a guy. I look up slowly and.. Yup. Definitely male. And _definitely_ looking at me.

"Hey, I don't think you remember me." Smart boy. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll try to refresh my empty mind without further persuasion from me.

"I was here last week and I had ordered gah gah goo goo…" Ok he didn't turn into a baby, I just tuned him out. No offense, the guy isn't bad looking, I'm guessing mixed Caucasian and Japanese. I, on the other hand, am looking ever so attractive with a fork full of delicious in one hand and my mouth hanging open as I stare at him lazily. Bottom line is I'm hungry, I'm tired, I need chocolate-banana! What do you want?

"…. a movie next week." Safe to say I missed the entire purpose of this guy interrupting my amazing snack. Okay Rei, don't hurt his feelings. Try not to let him know that you weren't listening at all.

"... Wha…?" That'll fool him.

He's starting to look nervous. He's scratching his head now. Maybe if I make him uncomfortable enough he'll just go away! Alright game-plan! Now what's the most awkward- whoa whoa WHOA! There was not a hand on mine earlier!

"I'm probably coming on a little strong but I've been eyeing you for a while.." am I a designer bag? ".. and I've been wanting to ask you out for some time." Oh he's asking me out….

…. wait…

"You're asking me out?" That echo sounded a lot like my voice. Oops… poor guy didn't know what he was getting himself into. I can honestly say I have not recently been asked out by a guy, sadly. I've been hit on by plenty of males who thought I was female, but never asked on a date. Girls are a different story…

"Uh yea…. Is that okay?" He's looking around at all the other people now whispering and glancing at us. I don't care. They think he's gay, not me.

But what do I say? I haven't been in this kind of situation for a long, long, _long_ time! Think think think…. Uh oh. He's looking expectant. He wants an answer. Come on mouth, make words.

"I'm hungry." Not those words.

"Oh! Right! I'm sorry! This must be a bad time." Never mind, he's getting up! Perfect words! I love you brain!

"I'll just, uh, give you my number and you can call me if you would like to meet up or something." He pulls out a pen from his messenger bag but can't seem to find anything to write on. I reach over and hand him a napkin from the dispenser on the table, no point in being a complete ass. He smiles in thanks and quickly slides the napkin back over to me with his written (scribbled) number on it. "Do you have a Mixi?"

Mixi? Don't only high school girls use that site? Oh yeah, he's gay.

"Uh, no. Sorry." I flash him an apologetic smile and he turns as red as Maybelline's Very Cherry 635 lip color. I have this power?

"No, that's fine. So, um, I'll see you around I guess." He starts to walk away. I don't even know his name.

"Oh by the way! I'm Matthew. Matthew Satou." Get out of my head Matthew. Might as well return the favor. "I'm Rei Kon. It was nice meeting you." Another flashy smile and he leaves looking like a dog drenched in red paint with his tail between his legs. Anyway, back to my first love, besides Kai. Chocolate-banana I've waited long enough!

"You seem popular."

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_Next Chapter: Kai's return, and his proposal for the Bladebreakers._

_Reviews are welcome! See you again hopefully!~_


	2. Spicy Curry

_It's Saturday :) if you were wondering why i will only update on Saturday, it's because i'm a full-time college student with a heavy major xP i cant afford to get distracted during the week so Saturday is fic day haha! I am very surprised by the number of reviews i have received, and i thank everyone who has sent them! Originally i had posted this story for my 2 IRL friends to read. As far as i know they haven't read it yet ^^;_

_i have been stressing about this chapter all week. i've edited it and read it so many times in the last 2 days! i hope it does not disappoint :)_

_btw i should mention that Rei's ringtone is a Korean song called "I'll back off so you can live" by GNA. Really beautiful and highly recommended^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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It has been a while since I heard that voice not coming out of a phone. Turning in my chair I am momentarily stunned by the living orgasm that can only be Kai. Naturally, I show him my best impersonation of a dead fish. I can be attractive too.

"Kai!" Yup, it really is him! And might I add that he looks absolutely delectable! More so than my neglected chocolate-banana crepe even! He should wear suits more often, and the red button-down really brings out his eyes. I never pictured Kai to be one who un-tucks his shirts. He glides over to the seat previously occupied by Twinkie boy (hehe I just made that up, yellow pastry with a white filling). Now I have a better view of my sweetie! From his undone top button to… to…. Since when has Kai worn glasses?

"When did you get here?" I push my plate of not-as-delicious-as-Kai crepe to the side so that I may lean over closer to him. That way I can, you know, give off the impression that I actually care exactly _when_ he got here. He's here. That's all that matters.

"The plane landed about two hours ago." Asshole, why weren't you here two hours ago? Well maybe he didn't know where I worked and, hold on…

"How did you know where I worked?" Say it's because you love me!

"I asked Granger." No such luck. "I need to talk to all of you after you clock out. Can you come by the dojo afterwards?" By, in front of, behind the dojo. I'll come anywhere if you're the one who's- oops, back to appropriate thoughts.

"Sure, no problem Kai, but why didn't you call instead of coming all the way down here. You must be tired." Please say it's because you love me!

"I had some business to take care of." So he had other reasons besides seeing me at my workplace in uniform? Damn. What kind of business?

"What kind of business?" Always speak your mind. That will get you results. Or a cold glare. The famous "you just asked a stupid question that you know I'm not going to answer" look. One that I am personally very familiar with. It's one of his more attractive ones anyway. "Sorry, shouldn't have asked."

He raises his eyebrows shortly in his "it's ok, but it was smart to apologize" manner. Yeah, I've had a lot of time to study Kai over the years. He pulls out a Blackberry and starts looking through it casually. He really should wear those glasses more often. They're not the big clunky kind that the teenagers are into. And they're not the stupid nerdy ones that _all _the emo kids wear to be "different". They are just simple, thin, square framed glasses. Paired with his perfect face (he long since abandoned his blue triangles) they make him look so devil-may-care, so sophisticated, so _hot_!

In the middle of my drooling I didn't notice that Kai has stood up to leave. No, please don't go! "I have to go now." Well, that settles it. "And I believe you have to get back to work." Yeah I need to get back to work after my break…

…Shit, my break! I give myself whiplash turning to the clock on the wall. My break was over two minutes ago! And I didn't even finish my crepe! Of course I don't blame Kai, he has _every_ reason to be here. Reason number 1 being that I'm in love with him. I blame Twinkie boy! He had absolutely no place interrupting my mid-shift snack! What a pretentious ass-hat thinking that I would willingly waste my break talking to Andrew or whatever his name was. Oops, Kai has noticed my glaring at the clock and is giving me a strange look.

"Yeah… I need to get back to work. I'll see you later Kai." Friendly wave and a smile, make yourself seem normal Kon. He slightly inclines his head in a polite manner and starts heading for the door. He should be arrested for wearing those pants out in public. The way they make his backside look so appealing is borderline public indecency. I wait until he is out of sight before I sprint back to my workstation like a bat out of hell. I leap over the counter and narrowly dodge a cart of dishes before reaching my pet bull. Wait, pet bull? Oh great. Of course Sergeant Grumpy would be the one I run into first. Telling by the angry scowl on his face, the clenched fists, and the heavy breathing, I'm sure he was waiting for me.

"_Blarg-um!_" Here's a little more information on the head chef: I cannot understand a word he says! EVER! He speaks some weird butchered form of the Japanese language that I am pretty sure died a long time ago along with the rest of Latin. Plus, his oversized bulldog jowls make it damn near impossible for a full consonant to pass his lips un-interrupted.

"_Ha-rumph!_" Yes sir, Sergeant Grumpy sir! "_Ha-rumph fump blap bloop"_ No sir, I was not fraternizing with the enemy, sir! "_Ha-rumph rumph rumph rumph!" _Take a month of paid vacation? Sir yes sir! Uh oh, he just became two shades redder and a few blood pressure points angrier. Brace for impact…

What's this? A comforting hand on my shoulder? "Now now Mr. Tanaka. Rei was just probably catching up with a good friend of his. He wouldn't be late after a break for anything less. Isn't that right sweetie?" Sachiko you give Santa Claus a run for his money with what you do for me! To emphasize her reasoning I look up at Sergeant Grumpy through my bangs with my best kiss-ass face and nod a little.

His eyes shift from me to Sachiko a couple times. Then he exhales rather forcefully and retreats (returns) to his fort (kitchen). Hitler himself would have surrendered all of his captives and turned himself in if Sachiko had asked him to.

"There now, no harm done Rei-dear!" If you weren't here, Sachiko, there would have been a lot of harm. Particularly inflicted on me. "Only a couple more hours and you can go home!" Tell me about it. Three more hours and I can see Kai again.

Kai…

Is it time to go yet?

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I hop the couple of steps leading to the entrance of the dojo, leaving my shoes at the bottom. I hadn't come by for about three months. It's not located far from my apartment, train-wise, but the university wants my blood so there's hardly any time to stop by. Not much has changed. I can see grandpa G has re-tiled the roof. He even enhanced the pond that we always practiced around. Where does he get the strength to do it? He may be a little crazy, but if I grow up to have his energy I wouldn't mind.

"Yo home-boy! Glad to see you fish-tailed over to our pad to chill with the other dawgs!"

On second thought, I hope there isn't an ounce of similarity between me and grandpa G. I think the blue Hawaiian shirt and neon orange sweatpants he's got on just gave me an aneurism.

"The little dude and the other homies are kicking it inside. I gotta go make a deal with the grub-man and stock the chow box!" Smile and nod Rei, smile and nod. Won't have to chat with him anyway, he's got his shoes and jacket on and is heading for the street. I guess he's going out for something. I bet he was even trying to tell me what it was that he was leaving for. I understand him a little more than I understand Sergeant Grumpy.

"Rei~!" My only warning before I am thrown off balance by, what feels like, a miniature football player. "I missed you sooooo much!" Aww, it's just Max! And that's just my spine cracking.

"I've missed you too Maxie." But I'm sure I'll miss being able to walk more. He _looks_ a bit more mature, obviously he still acts the same.

"Max! It's my turn now!" Tyson wants a turn crushing my vital parts next. These are college students? Like Max, he has matured a bit physically and built some muscle since I last saw him. He has also joined me in the 5'7" club.

"Rei! How have you been buddy? We hardly get to see each other now, since you went to that crazy smart school." Another comment about tribal Rei going to smart-ass Tokyo U... I try not to roll my eyes. Instead I give him a tight, completely hetero, bro hug. I meant it too! These are still my friends, as strange and annoying as they are. "If you're hungry you'll have to wait. Grandpa went down to the supermarket to pick up dinner." So _that's_ what he said on his way out!

"Hey there Rei." Well there's a head of brown hair I haven't seen in a while!

"Hilary?"

"Don't sound so surprised Rei. I'm still around."

I pull her into a quick hug. Last I heard she moved up north to attend an all-women's private university. She was majoring in something between accounting and ruler of the free world I believe. I'm leaning more towards the latter.

I follow them into the large room. I can see that Grandpa G had the floors replaced too. Only the best for the students at this dojo. There is something about coming back to a familiar place. I can feel my spirit lifting by the second. My head is being filled with memories of the old beyblading days. Back when we had our small team meetings about strategy after a day of hard training. It feels… nice. Only one thing could make me feel better and that is…

"Hey, where's Kai?" He's not in this room with the others. But where would he go? Maybe they annoyed him so bad that he went back to… wherever he was before! If this is true, I'll visit their homes while they're sleeping and hang them upside-down from their big toes and play comedy tapes from the early 90s until they beg to be put out of their misery!

Tyson plops on the floor and points to the back door, "He had a phone call, so he stepped out." Thank the gods! These three can sleep another night.

"Yeah," Max joins him and Hilary on the floor. "But that was a while ago so he might be-" As if on cue the door to the back of the house opens and in steps my mortal Greek god! I'm not even sure if he's mortal. I bet he just pretends to care about living. He can't die!

Kai walks over towards us still on the phone and speaking… Gibberish? How is it that someone can speak with those crazy sounds and still look absolutely gorgeous? I've been told that I speak Chinese like an angry old man. Maybe I should switch permanently to Japanese. Oh my god! Kai finally noticed that I'm here! He's looking at me, but he's still talking to whoever is on the other line in whatever language he is speaking. Poop, he's not wearing his glasses now. I smile slightly at him. He offers a small nod in return and looks away...

I get the feeling that this relationship isn't moving fast enough, don't you?

"Ponyal. Do svidaniya." With that, whatever it was, he snaps his mobile shut and joins the others on the floor. Oh I should probably sit down too. Normal Rei, remember that?

"So what was that about?" Tyson is the first person to voice all of our thoughts. I look expectantly at Kai. Is he going to tell us for once? We all lean in slightly. An anxious feeling fills the entire room. You can feel the tension mounting… and that brings me back to dirty thoughts of Kai.

"That… was about the exact same matter that I need to discuss with you all. But in order for you to understand I need to fill you in on the events following our last tournament." Someone make some popcorn and get me a large coke, this is going to take a while.

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"… After that trip we took, I packed up and moved back to Russia to accept the offer." So that's where Kai has been this whole time.

"Oh yeah! That trip to Disney Sea was the best! Remember when we took Kenny on that roller coaster like eight times!" I had to duck to avoid being smacked by one of Max's arms as he swung them around excitedly.

"Yeah! And then he wouldn't stop throwing up! And he threw up all over Kai's-"

"Tyson!" Good thing Hilary cut Tyson off before he finished that sentence. Kai might have realized that asking his old team for help wasn't a good idea.

Kai closed his eyes and folded his arms before he continued. "I became one of the top entrepreneurs in the country and I was about to start doing business internationally. But that was when the Russian government decided to step in." This was starting to sound like one of those crazy action movies. "They forbade me to continue my business within the Russian borders." Yeah, definitely one of those movies with a weird plot that doesn't make a world of sense until the last minute. I prefer romantic comedies.

"Did you do something wrong?" Oh Maxie. Kai can never do anything wrong! He's perfect! I don't count that phase he went through with Black Dranzer. He was just having an off week, that's all.

"Hn," that was a no, "It was Voltaire's fault. Because of what he did, and because I am his grandson, the Russian government does not trust me to have any sort of power. At least not on Russian soil. They don't want to be held responsible if I'm found to be involved in illegal activity."

We all give some sort of sound or nod to show that we are still listening and understand his story so far. "That is also why I need all of you."

His eyes, which have been closed for quite some time now, open and he looks at all of us. "There are a lot of people out there, not just Russia, who are out to take me down. They can't deal with the fact that I've become so successful at what I do at my age. My business rivals know that I could easily shut down all of their corporations simply because I exist." That's my Kai, always modest. "But at the same time, they know that if they get at least one spy into my facilities undetected, they could shut down my entire franchise. I can't risk hiring anyone off of the streets, no matter how good their credentials."

Do you understand? Because I sure don't. "Kai, that still doesn't explain why-" He cuts me off with a stern look. Hell, I'll take it. Even that look is drop-dead gorgeous!

"I can't hire anyone off the streets because I don't _trust_ them." Are you following any of this? Because I would bet my life's savings (not a lot) that no one in this room knows what Kai is trying to get at. Well, besides Kai of course.

"So I want…. _need _to hire you."

Ok let's recap shall we? Kai is moving his business to Japan. But he can't hire just anyone because there are people out there who want to ruin him. So he can't trust just anybody, and he can only hire people that he does trust. He just asked us to work for him so that means….

Awww, Kai trusts us!

"You really trust us enough to work for you, Kai?" I knew Hilary would catch on before the others. Let's see how long it will take them. I say that Max will figure this out before Tyson! Come on Max don't fail me now!

From the corner of my eye I see Max straighten. "Kai, that means a lot coming from you." Score! I should really start betting on the horse races.

"Whoa! Did Mr. Sourpuss just admit that he TRUSTS us?" Nothing gets past you Tyson. By the way, did you know that World War II is over?

Kai straightens, calling all of our attention. "I know you all have been studying different fields and, right now, that's a good enough resume for me." All of us huh? Let's see… International affairs, Accounting (or world-ruling) and two Technology students? What kind of business is Kai running? "Hey, Kai-"

"Papa G is back in the hizz-house! And he's got the grub to keep yo appetites in check!" Oh my god! Grab a bat! A crazy person broke in! Oh, never mind. It's just grandpa G butchering his native tongue. Damn, he interrupted me before I could ask about Kai's business.

"We're chowing on some curry tonight homeboys! But be warned, it's got game in the spice department!" If I am not completely ignorant to his dialect, I do believe we will be having curry for dinner. And that it will be very spicy.

"Oh no you don't grandpa! Last time we had curry I couldn't taste anything for a week!" I bet you ten bucks that he ate for that entire week anyway. By now Tyson has made his way into the kitchen and the sounds of wrestling and plastic bags fill the house.

Sighing, Hilary stands and takes a hold of Max's arm in the process. "Come on Max, let's break up the brawl before they break something else." Poor Max, he looks like he has just seen Gary in a speedo. Reluctantly, he stands as well. I feel that, after all these years, I have underestimated Max's inner strength. The fact that he is _willingly_ heading into the kitchen to stop the nuclear warfare that is about to ensue is a pretty impressive display of gonads.

Wait… Tyson, Grandpa G, Max and Hilary are all in the kitchen right now. So that just leaves me with…

I turn my gaze awkwardly to the only other occupant in the room. Kai is still staring at the kitchen doorway with a freaked out expression. Well, as "freaked out" as his expression will get, which is not a lot. But it's enough to show a bit of worry.

Ok Kon! This is your chance! You had better not blow it!

"So what kind of business are you starting here Kai?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes."

And nothing. Perfect. Ok don't give up now. Uhhh, say something witty, an ice-breaker! A conversation starter! Anything!

"It's not a human trafficking business or something is it?"

Ok… not "anything" per say. Now he's staring at me like I'm insane. Or worse, he thinks that I think that he's insane! A leader to a human trafficking ring! Smooth… He has now returned to ignoring me. Alright, one last chance! It's now or never! Pull something out of your ass!

"I hope that curry doesn't do anything to my intestines."

Note to self: "pulling something out of your ass" is an expression. And as luck would have it, I've scared him enough to get up and start heading towards the living area. Great…

"I'll be in the next room." With thoughts of my bowels imprinted into your frontal lobe no less. My apologies.

Remember when I said that our relationship isn't moving fast enough? Well it's moving pretty quickly now… in the wrong direction.

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_Next Chapter: The bladebreakers find out what kind of business Kai runs, and Rei gets a surprise._

_Reviews are welcome! See you again hopefully :)_


	3. Coffee

_Hello everyone! Happy Saturday :) I'm excited for this chapter^^ It was revised a few times after it was initially written so i hope this final draft is good enough. By the way, i wonder if anyone has thought about the title "JACKROSE" ;P there is a reason for it hehe_

_My friend and i have realized that the other college students don't talk to us until they know that we speak english. We mess with them now xP_

_**Disclaimer: Chapter 1**_

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So this…. Is where we're working? Is it behind the high-rise?

When Kai told us to meet him at Jinnan in Shibuya, I wandered in a circle three times before running into Max and Tyson in front of this…. building. It can't possibly be this building! It's huge! It is essentially two buildings stuck together. I can't even guess at how many floors in holds. A large crane is ascending the side of the skinnier building on the left where a couple of workers in hard-hats are draping a long sign down the front of it. Another sign on the top of the building reads "109-2". I'm guessing that's the name of this monster. The building on the right looks more like a business building, if you ignore the giant Panasonic screen covering the front of it.

Why are the construction workers wearing hard-hats? There really is no point to them when you get right down to it. If you fall… well, I highly doubt that a hard-hat will stop you from, you know, dying.

"You will all be on the fifth floor." Kai, you make it sound like we're working here. Why are you heading to this building? Why are you leading us to this building? Why are we following you to this building? This doesn't seem like any business Kai would run. "You now all work under the company name Silver Bullet." This isn't some corporate building. I was expecting cubicles and stuck-up men in business suits. But there are stores and young people and stores! This is a…

"A SHOPPING MALL? KAI! YOU OPENED A SHOPPING MALL?"

What's that ringing noise? Oh, that's just my ear. Thanks Tyson. I didn't want to hear on that side anyway.

"No Tyson. I didn't open a shopping mall." Ah…. Kai's voice is like silk being gently massaged onto my eardrums after the tsunami that is Tyson's bellowing. Right now, and I'm just guessing from that sign that says "1st Floor," we are on the 1st floor. The sidewalk outside and the floor inside are essentially on the same level. The ceiling isn't much higher either. What were these architects smoking? There is barely enough room to stand straight. The fact that there are a couple stores and, you guessed it, a _museum _doesn't help either. Needless to say, it is very cramped. My feng shui senses would be driving me up the wall right now, if there was enough wall to be driven up on.

We follow Kai to the elevators located right next to the entrance. If the first floor is this small then I don't have high expectations for the elevator. And I was right. I think I've bought packs of gum bigger than this elevator. Wait, small elevator with Kai? This may not be so bad. I just need to maneuver myself to stand near him. Good thing there is only four of us. I hope he enjoys my backside up against him. God knows I do.

"So Kai," Max's light voice seems so loud in the cramped space. "What exactly are we doing?" From the windows in the elevator Tyson and I examine each floor as they pass. The good thing is that the 1st floor seems to be the only one built by gnomes. We can't see much but this mall doesn't look very different from any other shopping center. Well, I haven't really been to any other shopping center besides Tokyu. The only difference I can see are the customers. They are, for lack of a better term, scary! Tall, tan, and pierced. Their girlfriends aren't much better either. I can't tell if what they are wearing is supposed to be attractive. Yeah, it's been a while since I've gone to a store to buy clothes.

"I'll explain more when we get there." Max nods in understanding, but his eyes are still observing the sun baked people shopping. You can tell the little guy is intimidated. Sure, he was part of a tag team with big and tan Rick, but that was just one guy. Max would rather be back at Disney Sea hugging a felon in a mouse costume.

Kai steps between me and Tyson as we near the fifth floor. Once the doors open, Kai steps out and we have to follow at a brisk pace to keep up. Unlike the other floors, this floor is pretty much dead. The only people walking around are workers in orange vests. Kai's leading us somewhere to the right of the elevator… Where exactly? I have no idea because guess whose ass is in sight. Kai walks very stiffly. His hips don't swing or anything. But that just adds to his masculinity. I snap out of my trance when I realize that Kai's ass wasn't growing but instead getting closer. He has stopped walking and I have to stop abruptly as to not run into his back. Hope no one saw that.

Kai turns to us and I now see that he has stopped in front of a store. My eyes turn up near the ceiling to find an unlit sign overhead.

JACKROSE.

"Kai?" Whoa was that my voice? It sounds so girlie. "Are we… working here?" I am wishing upon a star that he says no. By now I have a pretty good idea of what kind of jobs are associated with a clothing store. Working at a clothing store requires being around clothes, helping people find clothes, and knowing clothes! And in case you haven't noticed, Rei Kon does _not_ know clothes! Wow… I'm a sad excuse for a gay guy.

Standing in front of the store, Kai looks like one of the mannequins. No, he looks better! The mannequins are all flat and don't have hair or faces so of course Kai looks better. It's more like his outfit is similar to the small amount of clothes on display. In fact, if my fashion-challenged mind is correct, Kai is wearing clothes from this store.

"Tyson, Max." Said two straighten like a couple of privates in the military. Hehe, straighten, privates, I crack myself up! "Since you both are majoring in technology, I need you both to be in charge of tech in the store. You will only need to work on the displays during seasonal changes and shows so you will be on the sales floor most of the time." You can tell Tyson and Max's eyes lit up like Christmas trees at the mention of tech, but I wouldn't trust these two in advising anyone about anything besides beyblading. Especially clothes. Even I'm not that desperate.

Kai turns and waves his hand signaling us to follow him again. He leads us through the different displays and informs us of the overall "feel" of the merchandise. I really don't want to "feel" anything that has to do with clothes. Man, what ever happened to my sense of challenge? My survival instinct? Adapt and overcome! I should just plunge myself into a fashion magazine and become everything that I need to be to survive…. You know….When I feel like it.

We follow Kai further into the store near the back by the registers. "You both will be trained in handling sales and maintaining the upkeep of the store." Wait, both? Is he still talking about those two? What about me? Maybe the gods are finally taking pity on me! "During shows or display changes, however, I do not want to see you two talking to a single customer. Your attention needs to be focused on the visual appeal alone. Understood?" They both nod quickly. They kind of remind me of toddlers in pre-school. I still don't think the shock of it all has set in just yet. He still hasn't said anything to me so maybe I don't have to worry about anything.

"Rei," shit. "I believe you are majoring in International Affairs," you know so much about me! I'm flattered really. "For now you will be on the sales floor with the others." Double shit, "When your skills improve," skills? What skills? "you will be given a larger responsibility." Three shits, you're out Kon. I give a single hesitant nod. Are you following along at home? Good. So you should know where this is all going. That's right…

"Welcome to JACKROSE."

Straight down the crapper.

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_BANG_!

Ouch… that was my head… making-out… with the wall. Pulling off your shoes while standing after an exhausting day at the shopping center proves to be a difficult task. Ah my welcoming, comfy apartment! Oh how I want to just sit in the bath for an hour, change into my jammies and curl up under the covers! That was a beautiful plan for this evening... Until my eyes fell onto my laptop.

Damn. Damn it all to hell. Damn it all to hell and let the demon dog Cerberus maim it to pieces and take a giant demon dog dump on it.

During my long day of shopping mall exploring (Kai suggested we familiarize ourselves before we got lost) I neglected my three essays and presentation due _tomorrow_! Remember those? Yeah, I didn't.

I walk into the small kitchen to the left of the entrance and flip on the small coffee maker. Lord knows that I was going to need it. While waiting for the coffee, I plopped into my chair in front of my laptop, my legs and feet popping the whole way over. The essays I could bullshit. The presentation, however, required facts. I can't bullshit facts. My professor knows facts.

Today… was crazy to say the least. I've been told by my ex-teammate that I will be working in a store called JACKROSE which specializes in men's apparel and accessories. Kai opened the business, I'm assuming, on his own. Besides Tyson, Max, and myself I didn't see anyone else there except a couple people setting up displays. Kai informed us that the fifth floor was being completely re-designed for the grand-opening of his men's wear franchise. Turns out we are working in _one_ of his stores! He opened up two more stores: one on the seventh floor called Silver Bullet and the other one next to our store called RHYDEAL _by_ Silver Bullet (my baby is very creative with names).

Apparently, Kai is loaded! Not from his grandfather, oh no. Voltaire had invested most of his wealth into the Biovolt project. The little that was left over, around 50 million yen (500,000 dollars), was given to Kai. The majority of Kai's wealth comes from, well, his business. He became the most successful name in fashion throughout Russia in the little time after our last tournament. Now, he is trusting us to keep the business moving in Japan. On top of this I still have classes and my other…

Damn. Damn. Damn! I forgot about my job at Tokyu Department Store! I love that job! It pays well and the ladies are so nice to me! It's what I use to burn off steam after a hard day at Tokyo U. There's no way I could let that job go. Plus, I know food! I don't know shit-diddly about clothes. I grew up in a mountain village in deserted China for god's sake! I wear whatever is comfortable, clean and hasn't been mauled by mountain cats. No one who really cared about their appearance would ever approach me for fashion advice. Well, I'll just have to talk to Kai about this.

I get up when the coffee maker beeps. Ah coffee, you shall keep me company for tonight. My mistress of caffeine~ I fill my favorite kitty mug and slump back into my chair. I allow my body to relax for a couple seconds before the dreaded all-nighter that was sure to come.

While opening the writing program I snap my eyes shut. Do I dare look at the time? Slowly, I turn my head in the direction of the digital clock, opening only my right eye.

23:05

This… is going to be a long night. In exasperation my eyes wander to the full-length mirror next to my bed. I can feel the frown on my face that is being shown in my reflection. What I see is nothing compared to the mannequins at the store, and absolutely _nothing_ compared to Kai. Just a Chinese boy in plain clothes. My current outfit, for example, is about four years old. A white shirt and a pair of grey slacks. I own about five complete outfits all together. I have my pair of Chinese slippers and a pair of sneakers. I can't remember the last time I actually went shopping for something other than living essentials. I turn back to my laptop.

I really need to talk to Kai.

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_Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep CRASH_

That's a very effective way of shutting off an alarm clock. When you're too sleep deprived to find the damn switch, knocking the whole thing to the floor is a very suitable solution. I lift my body off of my bed like Dracula out of his coffin. Has there always been bubble wrap in my bed? No, that noise was my back. I shlunk over to my closet and look at the "many" options of clothing I could choose from. Grey shirt. Black pants. Done. After my hair is shoved into it's wrap, I head over to the wash room.

Brush teeth. Wash face. Stare into the abyss. My eyes seem smaller today.

I fill my messenger bag with last nights fiasco. I completed the three essays easily. All full of bullshit information I could later blame on the "difficult to understand" Japanese sources. I slip the USB that holds my presentation into the side pocket. I should have finished the presentation before the essays. I was pretty much dead by the time I started it.

I wonder what I wrote about.

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"Hey, watch where you're going!" Was that your back I ran into?

"Sorry."

"Ouch that was my foot!" I thought it was the ground.

"Excuse me."

"Damn drug-using teens!" Oh, you're referring to me?

"My bad."

Almost. There. Tokyu is in sight. A few more steps until I'm wrapped in the arms of my middle-aged saviors. I need this comfort.

You can obviously assume that my presentation did not go over so well with my professor. In my semi-asleep state, I had managed to type half of the PowerPoint in Mandarin. On top of that, the parts that I had to translate had nothing to do with the overall topic of the presentation. My professor followed this up with a hard lecture about how I need to "appreciate" the "opportunities" that Japan has given me. He followed this up with a tirade on the Chinese government and how they refuse to let the Yuan float like the rest of the global currencies. Add this to about an hour and 30 minutes of sleep and what do you get? Zombie Rei.

Great. I just got passed by an old lady with a walker. Now I'm just depressed.

Well I made it to the entrance anyway. Push doors, come on! What's wrong with them? Why won't they open? Open! Maybe if I use all of my strength…

"It says 'pull'." I turn to see two housewives waiting behind me. They are offering me small smiles, but I can tell they just want me out of the way.

"Sorry." I let my Chinese accent leak through , and they seem to notice. I held open the door for them to enter first. As they pass, I can hear them comment about how there are too many Chinese in Japan now and how we're all on drugs. Do I really look that bad?

I make my way through the everyday crowd of Tokyu until I near the cafeteria. I can see my co-workers refilling the food platters and talking animatedly. They're upset over something. I wonder if the management did anything to cause this. As I pass them I slow down to try and catch what they are saying. However, they notice me right away and go silent. They are all just… staring at me. Like I'm a ghost or something.

"Rei-sweetheart! What are you doing here?" Yay! It's Sachiko here to give me a hug! Wait. What did she mean by that?

"What do you mean by that?" I know I look dead, but I still have work. I can pretend to be alive for a couple more hours before I return to my tomb.

"Oh sweetie! We were all so upset when we got the news! We couldn't believe it at first, but we weren't surprised that you would soon move on to bigger and better things. You're such a bright boy!" Wait, what is she talking about? Bigger and better things? If she didn't sound like my mother before, she is _really_ starting to sound like my mother now.

"Rei-dear! Did you come to say good-bye?" What is Fujiyama talking about? Goodbye? I just got here! I'm not that lazy am I? And why is Masako crying? Someone clear some things up! By now the whole group has found it acceptable to crowd around me like I'm some kind of circus freak. That's funny, I don't remember being claustrophobic.

"What's going on?" The group goes silent for a bit, surprised that I actually spoke up. Sachiko gives me a sad smile. She steps closer and starts adjusting my bangs as she speaks.

"Sweetie, you probably didn't want all of us to know right away. But when someone resigns, word gets around fast. Especially when it's someone as sweet as you!" She ends this by cupping my cheeks in her palms and giving a squeeze. I feel like I'm five again. Wait, resign? Who's resigning?

"Oh Sachiko! He probably came by to work another day!" That was the goal when I came here. I try and turn my head against Sachiko's plump fingers to look at Fujiyama. "Don't worry sweetie! Your last check is in the mail I'm sure! No need to come in today!" Poor Masako just nods at this statement while crying into her handkerchief. Last check?

"Bwat ahh you ahl talhing abow?" It's rather hard to speak when my face is in Sachiko's grip.

It's Fujiyama's turn to give me a pitiful smile. "The head of Tokyu received your letter stating that you were resigning because of another job offer." What? "That is really great news! But we all are going to miss you around here." At the end of her explanation, Masako lets out a loud sob and throws her arms around my waist forcing Sachiko to release my cheeks. I pat her shoulder reassuringly, but really _I'm _the one in need of reassuring!

I resigned?

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_Next Chapter: Rei stands up for himself, but he meets a couple old faces along the way._

_Reviews are loved! I have also enabled anonymous reviews. See you again hopefully~_


	4. Buns

_Saturday is here~ i think i'm getting sick xP anyway, this chapter is one of my favorites. i hope other people like it too^^ btw, if you wanna see the layout of 109-2 and the stores the guys work in, go to 109-2. jp/shops/index. html (remove the spaces :) I would like to thank these three amazing people who have been reading JACKROSE and left reviews for every chapter so far!_

_Inside the Box_

_PixxyDust_

_Chaseha-Wing_

_Thank you guys so much! Anyway, on with the chapter!_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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"Kai!"

My voice echoed throughout the entire JACKROSE store. It's still pretty empty aside from the boxes, new display cases, and lights that have to be put on display. Tyson and Max are getting ready to set up all of the technical displays. By now I'm sure that they, and the rest of the employees setting up, have noticed my presence. They've all stopped in their tracks and are staring at me so… yeah. Where's Kai?

"Uh. Kai's n-not here. He said h-he'll be in his of-fice." Yup, I scared Max. I'll deal with that later, when I don't have the urge to steal a baby's toys and push an old lady onto some train tracks.

"Where's.. his… office?" I had to forced this out through clenched teeth. I didn't want to yell at him and cause further damage. I can feel my head shake as I try and restrain myself from snapping. Max's eyes grow wide and he nudges Tyson to answer.

"It's uh… on the seventh floor in the back of Silver Bullet. Take the stairs up and you should find… it."

I didn't wait for him to finish before I stomped out of the store, to the left, and into the elevator. I hope Kai knows how to deal with an angry neko-jin. On second thought, I hope he doesn't. He may be the love of my life but how dare he? How _dare_ he?

… oh hey.

I guess I should fill you in. Remember that letter of resignation that I supposedly sent to the Tokyu management? Well obviously I didn't send it. After hearing about the whole situation from my former co-workers, I went straight to the head of Tokyu and asked him in person. He said the letter came from a different source but contained all of my information so he had no choice but to accept it as legit. I asked him to tell me specifically who it came from. He printed me a copy to see who sent it. I'll give you one guess.

A Mr. Hiwatari of Silver Bullet.

Yeah. I'm pissed.

After a short elevator ride, I step into Silver Bullet. Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been in here. Just like JACKROSE, it is free of any actual merchandise. It is more spacious than our store and is more brightly lit. The few employees that I see seem to be a bit more on the mature side.

Ok, I work with Tyson and Max. A 12-year-old in sex education would seem more mature than those two.

The employees who are setting up shop part for me like the Red Sea. I guess my pupils have finally slit. They do that when I'm out for blood. One of the perks of being a neko-jin. People don't mess with you when you don't want them to.

A quick trip through Silver Bullet and I find myself ascending the stairs leading to Kai's office. They start from just behind the cash register in the back and curve around a cylindrical wall and out of sight. I'm taking them two at a time so that I can get there sooner and angrier. At the top I find the only door on the second landing. Well that must be it. I march up to the door with the determination of a lion and raise my fist to give a good knock when… the door opens on it's own? No, someone has opened it from the other side.

I automatically step to the side to allow whoever is coming out room to leave. I can't tell who the person is because they have their back facing me, stepping through the open door backwards. Whoever it is, they're speaking Russian, which I now know is the same language that Kai was speaking on the phone back at the dojo. But this isn't Kai. He's larger, a lot larger. As in more built and taller. Much taller. He says one final word and turns out of the doorway, pulling the large door shut in the process. Shit, someone save me. And when I say "save" I mean kill me now before he does.

It's Bryan!

He turns to head for the stairs behind me but stops when he sees who I am. I know he recognizes me. I beat him in the world tournament, he hates my guts! His eyes grow for a second before they settle into a glare. I can hear myself gulp, and I thought that only happens in cartoons. He offers a quick glance at my attire and smirks. "Well, well. Kai certainly ran out of options, didn't he?" Damn him! Of course he finds something to insult me with the first time he sees me in over a year!

I can't really say anything about him though, He looks, and damn me if I ever say this out loud, good! He looks like he actually belongs in this business, unlike myself. His hair is trimmed just above his shoulders. He has even gotten a slight tan since the last time I had the misfortune of running into him. Damn, that means no more frosty jokes. He seems to have acquired a liking for silver accessories.

Squaring my shoulders, I try to remind myself that I am, indeed, a man. I piss standing up too! "Is he in there?" My voice came out a bit quiet, but hey, I sounded like I meant business anyway. At least it didn't go up a pitch. Rei Kon, composed in the face of death!

"He is." He gives me another once over before continuing. "Why he would call you up here, however, is beyond me." I'll just leave out the fact that Kai didn't actually call me up here. That would only give him more ammo to shoot me down with. He takes my silence as defeat and smirks while he makes his way around me. Damn, he even smells good! What cologne is that? I step out of his way a bit to avoid further confrontation. Even so, he still rams into my shoulder, _hard_, before he trots down the stairs. Bastard. Why was he here anyway? I'll just ask Kai later, after I rip his gorgeous head off of his masculine shoulders!

I rub my, probably bruised, shoulder before stepping up to the door again. I give three good knocks and wait. I don't have to wait long before I hear a faint "Come in". As I reach for the handle and push the door open, I register that voice in my head. That didn't sound like Kai's voice. Who's in there?

Closing the large door quietly, I turn around and take in the room I'm standing in.

So this is Kai's standard of an office? Is it even allowed to be called an office? It looks more like the VIP lounge of a night club. There is a set of stylish black couches in the center of the room surrounding a low table. I guess that's for meetings or whatever. Two desks are placed on opposite sides of the room, the one on the left being a bit larger and much more elaborate. A few fashion magazines are scattered throughout the office, I guess for reference? The whole room is in a color scheme of crimson and black with the rare silver accent in mirrors and vases found around the room. A large and modern looking silver chandelier is hanging from the middle of the ceiling. This is more of an upscale apartment rather than an office!

Oh yeah, back to raging at Kai. Where is that gorgeous piece of ass anyway? I need to rip him a new one.

I hear a door to my left being opened, though I can't see the door myself. The object of my musings steps out from behind the corner where I am guessing that door is. I'm assuming that's some kind of dressing room as he is currently pulling on a blazer hastily. Damn, he looks good even when I'm furious at him. While heading for his desk he glances in my direction, probably to see who has entered.

"What is it?" He says this as he steps around his desk and starts skimming through the pile of papers on it. He seems to be in a hurry. I now register that there is someone behind the other corner of the room shuffling papers and walking back and forth. I wonder who that is. Is Kai going somewhere?

I straighten my posture into what I hope is an intimidating stance. "I want to know why you did that!" Well, I sound a lot less angry than I feel, and I sound pretty angry.

"Why I did what?" He's not even looking at me! He's too busy organizing his papers on that desk! In a burst of (more) anger I march up to his desk stopping about two feet away from it. Dammit, he's wearing those amazing glasses again! Don't get distracted Kon! You're here for a reason! Forget about how good he looks for a couple more minutes..

"Why you sent that letter of resignation to my workplace!" Simultaneously, both he and whoever else is in the room stop what they're doing. I think my anger came across very well. In two seconds, however, Kai is the first to recover and is back to whatever he's doing. He hasn't looked at me once since I got here. "How do you expect to hold down two jobs while attending Tokyo University." Who the hell does he think he is? He taps the now organized papers on his desk to square them out.

"I think I'm the one who decides what I can and cannot do." I can feel my fists shaking at my sides. I'm trying hard not to lash out completely. He's not my father! How dare he make decisions for me!

He places those damn papers into folders and those damn folders into a leather bag. By now the other person in the room has returned to shuffling about. My leg starts to fidget out of habit while I try to wait patiently for his reply. It feels like an hour has passed but it was probably only a minute.

"I require you to be present when I need you. With the way I run my business, I will require your presence often." He glances at his Blackberry in his hand before that is placed into his bag as well. "Even out of work hours. I can not deal with your absence due to another job. So you resigned-"

"_You_ resigned for me."

"and you will not go back to that job or any other job." His voice raises slightly to override my comment. "You work for me only. Education is another issue. Go to that university as much as you need to. You're paying for it anyway." With that he slings the bag over his shoulder and makes his way around the desk, not once looking in my direction. I turn to follow his form with my eyes, and that's when I see the other occupant in the room. Icy blue eyes and unmistakable flaming red hair.

Tala! Both of the Russian bastards are here!

He too is placing papers and a laptop into his own bag and zips it closed. And just like Bryan, he also looks like he belongs in this work environment. Maybe even more so than Bryan! While Bryan looks like a thug who happens to care about what he's wearing, Tala looks like he just stepped out of one of the magazines scattered around the office. Feeling my gaze on him he raises his eyes towards me. Damn, that gaze feels like ice down the back of my shirt! He looks at me for a couple seconds before he… goes back to what he's doing. Guess an angry Chinese guy starting a fight in your office isn't very interesting. Anyway, back to being angry at Kai.

"You had no right to do that!" I take a couple big steps towards Kai hoping it will cause my voice to sound angrier, louder, anything to get my point across!

Kai stops at the door and Tala joins him quickly. Kai, with a stern expression, finally turns and looks at me directly. Tala also follows Kai's gaze to me with a "there's nothing else to look at" expression. Even then they both look like they're posing for a magazine cover.

"You promised to work under my company name. If I can't trust you to be here when I need you, how can I trust you at all?" His words cut through me like knives. I can feel my nerve slip. With that final word, he opens the door and steps out. I guess Tala finds my fallen expression amusing as he smirks and follows Kai out the door. It falls closed behind them. The sound resonating throughout the empty office.

What am I doing?

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Bed…. I need bed.

I step out of my shoes and into my apartment. Another day of nagging professors and preparing JACKROSE for the grand opening. It's been like this for the past week. I get up, go to classes, leave, go to 109-2, run around like a headless chicken for a couple hours, take the train home, and slob around my apartment working on assignments until I fall asleep. Then the whole process starts over again. Yippee…

I plop down at my desk and place my bag of unhealthy dinner options in front of me. Maybe I should go back to the convenience store and apologize to the cashier. I don't think she appreciated me taking out my anger on her.

"_Welcome!"_

"_Shut-up you overly perky part-timing cow!"_

… Maybe some other time.

My head falls onto my folded arms and I take a deep breath. I glance at my mini calendar and flip to next month. The opening of all the Silver Bullet stores are set for the 3rd of October, a week and two days from today. The week after the opening is when my midterm exams will start. Does someone have a gun? I would like to end it all now. I drop the calendar with an almost painful groan. This is torture. I miss working with food and I miss my middle-aged co-workers, aside from Sergeant Grumpy. He can kiss my ass.

In a huff, I grab the bag of food I bought on the way home. I skim through it to decide what I want to eat now and what I'll save for breakfast tomorrow morning. I might as well have the pork bun tonight. I'll save the raspberry bars for breakfast with some coffee. I shove the soft pastry into my mouth instantly tasting barbeque pork. Soft bun… why does that make me think of Kai? I muffle my screaming hormones and instead think of the hell I will endure the next time I step into the store.

With every new product that comes into the store I have to try and familiarize myself with the brand, style, and what could possibly look good with it. By the way, why do all of the brand names have to be in English? They don't make things any easier. I bought a couple of men's fashion magazines, but that hasn't helped at all. I just end up looking at all the hot models and not what they're wearing. I wish I could just quit…

"_If I can't trust you to be here when I need you, how can I trust you at all?_"

I really hate to admit it, but Kai was right. I agreed to do this for him. How was I expecting to hold down two jobs and attend college? Only someone like Kai would be able to do that. And I'm nowhere near Kai's level. I can't back out now. What's done is done. I just wish that Kai had talked to me about it first, instead of taking matters into his own hands. He's a great guy but he's also stuck-up, and proud, and…

The sexiest thing since melted icing on cinnamon rolls. Dammit, this bun is distracting me!

I finish off the rest of the perverted pastry and force it down my esophagus vehemently. It's been one week since that incident in his office. Between then and now I haven't spoken to Kai directly about anything. I get told what to do by the store managers, Apparently, they were working with Kai since he opened shop in Russia and have been loyal to him ever since. One whole week without Kai. I don't even recall seeing him in that week. Just glances of his back as he heads to his office or on his way out to a meeting or something.

Damn, now besides feeling tired, I feel downright lousy. I need to do something to improve this situation. But what do I do? Someone tell me! Come on, I need a _sign_!

_I'll back off so you can live That is all I can say I'll forget you so you can live better~_

I love this song, but in my current state of mind, it's just depressing.

I fumble for my phone in my bag without looking. I've gotten used to following the vibrations. Grasping it, I flip it open to answer without checking the caller.

"m'llo?" Enthusiasm is my middle name.

"Hey Rei!" Max likes to greet me like this simply because it rhymes. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

I use what little energy I have left to lift my head up off of the desk and look at my calendar. Besides classes there's nothing planned for tomorrow. "Nope, I'm free. Why?"

"Oh sweet! Tyson and I are off tomorrow and we wanted to head over to 109-2. You wanna go?" Why in the hell do they want to go to work on their day off?

"Why do you want to go to work when you don't have to?" I'm sure he heard the thump of my head falling back onto the desk.

"We wanted to go look at the shops there and see if there's anything we like just to, you know, fit in with our current job." Why did my senses suddenly perk up to that statement? Like there is some relevance to it. Almost like I've been waiting to hear him say that.

I flop up into an upright position before I lean heavily onto the back of my chair. "No offense Max, but I would rather stay as far away from work as possible on my day off."

He doesn't sound crestfallen. Instead he just laughs off my statement. "Yeah, I can see what you mean. Well, get some rest, you sound really beat man." Thanks for noticing.

We end the call and I drop my phone onto my desk. Hmmm, now where was I? Oh yeah…

Give me a sign!

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_Next Chapter: Everyone is making changes, except Rei. But Hilary is here to help._

_Thank you for reading! See you again yeah? :D_


	5. Fresh Cream

_Saturday~ well Saturday for you, it's Friday for me xP I have somewhere to be tomorrow morning so I don't have time to edit anything, just upload^^ I can't tell how this story is going so far, like is it average quality or below average... one can only hope_

_So i was trying really hard last chapter to find a food to use in the title that didn't have a word starting with "C" since all of the other chapters do. It's too hard so i gave up with this chapter lol_

**_Disclaimer: __Chapter__ 1_**

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"… in the mean time we need to start planning the displays for each of the items that have been ordered. They will be here the day before the opening so they need to be stocked quickly and correctly…"

Kai is standing before everyone on the first flight of stairs leading to his office. He called over all of the employees from each store for a pep talk and to review how he wants the opening to run. Tala is standing behind him talking on the phone in Russian. Bryan, to my relief, is absent. I don't know where he is and obviously I don't care. As long as he's not here.

"Tyson, Max. Remember what I said when I first brought you here. Only focus on the electronic displays, nothing else." The two on my left nod quickly. I hate to admit it, but Tyson and Max are making me look bad. They have taken to this whole fashion retail environment like Martha Stewart to drapes.

Remember that phone call from Max? The one where he invited me to go shopping with them? Yeah, I should have gone.

In the past week their style has gone from terrible to bearable. Tyson feels more for the, what's it called? Salon style? But I've seen some magazines call it hipster. He stays in the range of wearing black and white only. He seems to be favoring the dark jeans and blazer match-up. I never expected Tyson to be one to wear a blazer, or anything professional, ever.

As for Max, he went from wearing every color in the spectrum to, what I overheard someone calling, mixed coordination. Because his mom is well off and sends him as much money as he needs, he likes to mix the expensive fashion products with the cheaper knock-offs. He mostly wears monotone shades, but unlike most of the people at this mall, he isn't afraid to put some color into his wardrobe. Good to know that we haven't lost him completely.

Hilary is standing to my right. Surprising since she hasn't been around much. I just recently learned why. Being the most responsible and persuasive, she was given the job as buyer for all three of the stores. What is a buyer you ask? Well, she goes to the top designers that Kai wants to collaborate with and convinces them to work with our stores. Then she comes up with the contract and is responsible for meeting the designer's needs. She hasn't changed much, but her clothes have become more business formal. I assume this is to impress the designers she meets.

…

Oh, you're wondering about me? Well, I've been rocking the style known as second hand recently. I haven't bought anything new. People who sway toward my style just put on whatever is clean and goes with the season. I'm proud to say that it is the most affordable style out there. My closet and love-life take a beating from it, but my wallet is full.

"Rei," oh yeah I'm a part of this meeting too. "Come up to my office after the layout for the store is finished." Is he finally making a move? Probably not. But that's the first thing he's said directly to me in over a week! Is that the hallelujah chorus I hear?

While Kai addresses me, I can feel everyone's eyes staring. Ever since I got here, every employee has been wondering exactly _why_ I was hired. I couldn't tell them even if they asked (thank goodness they haven't asked). I give Kai a nod to let him know I understand, and he addresses the entire group once again.

"We have three more days until the opening… Don't slack off." Really motivating Kai. You should have been a teacher. And with those inspiring words, he turns on his heels and ascends the stairs to his office. I think I'll take this little moment to admire his perfectly fitted pants at this optimum angle. What i wouldn't give for one night with that beautiful piece of man.

"Rei…" That's what he would say when I'm laying under him.

"Rei…." He would start breathing heavy right before he-

"Rei!" Hey, you're not Kai! Get out of my bed! I snap out of my wet daydream rather abruptly. It's Ken. One of the other employees I'm working with. He's Japanese born and raised, but he was brought to Russia to work for Kai because of his perfect sales records. He then followed Kai back to Japan to continue working for Silver Bullet. When we first met I wasn't too fond of him. I was rather suspicious of him being so loyal to _my_ Kai. That is until I found out he has a girlfriend. We're cool now.

"Come on. The new display cases and mannequins just got here," I guess he wants me to help bring them up. "we need help bringing them up," Great. "Because the elevator's broken and only goes up to the 2nd floor," Even better. "So we need to take the back stairs."

Fantastic.

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"Ow…"

"Ow…"

"Owwwwwww…."

"Oh ow!"

Does Kai _really_ need all of these stairs to get to his office? I'm pretty sure he can cough up a couple thousand to invest in a damn elevator. Climbing up more stairs is not what I want to do after running up and down three, count' em, _three _flights of stairs repeatedly while carrying display cases weighing about 50lbs each. Don't even get me started on those mannequins. Have you ever been face-to-face with one of those creepy dolls in a dimly lit service stairway alone? Yeah, not the most pleasant moment of my life. I still have goose bumps.

Why couldn't Kai have opened the store on the 1st floor? Ok, only a few more steps, you can make it!

"Ow!"

"Maybe you should take this as a sign kitty." Damn you Bryan, can't you see I'm in pain? Scratch that. He's doing this _because_ he can see I'm in pain. "You really don't belong here."

I glare at him over my shoulder as he comes up the stairs behind me. Where the hell has he been all day? "I'm doing this because Kai asked me to." It's the truth anyway. I really don't have the energy to come up with a witty comeback.

"Well let's hope he asks you to jump off the roof next." He sends me a smirk over his shoulder as he easily glides past me. I can only watch in envy as Bryan reaches the top of the stairs with painless ease. I can hear him open the office door and slam it shut behind himself. Even the sound of the door seems to be mocking me.

A few painful steps later and I've made my way to the top of the stairs. Hallelujah! I knock on the door quickly and wait a second for Tala's "Come in" before I make my way into the office. I still haven't gotten used to the awe that is this office. I think it's the fact that it's more accommodated than my own apartment. While I look around I can't help but glance in the direction of Tala's desk.

Bryan is half-sitting on Tala's desk as the redhead works on his laptop while eating a crepe. From here I can tell that it's filled with fresh cream and… How dare Bryan chuckle at me! I glare at him and he turns to Tala still laughing. The redhead sends him a questioning look before Bryan leans over and explains, in detail no less, of my escapades up the stairs in they're mother language. Of course someone else's pain brings joy to Tala as he sends me an amused smirk before going back to the work on his desk. Russian bastards…

And there he is! My fantasies personified! Kai walks out of that little dressing room slipping into another blazer while talking on the phone (in Japanese this time!) that is being held between his cheek and his shoulder. As i listen in I notice that the way he is talking sounds different. It's not condescending or uncaring like how he usually talks. He sounds…. Charming? No way! Well maybe. Yeah?

"Yes, I understand that. My assistant has written up a contract that fits the requirements you have given us. I will have my buyer come down tomorrow to close the deal. Thank you so much. It's always a pleasure doing business with you. Good-bye now." And he snaps his phone shut. I've never heard him talk like that to anyone, not even Mr. Dickinson! Maybe it comes from the business environment? While Kai is pocketing his phone, Tala sees this as a good time to approach him with a few more papers.

"Vodka vodka vodka…" Well that's what it sounds like anyway. Kai simply nods as he takes the papers and places them on his desk. He sits heavily in his chair with an almost audible groan while leaning back. One of his arms drapes over his eyes and for a moment the only sound in the office is Tala shuffling about. I never thought I would see Kai exhausted. Well, except for that time when Hilary boot camped our beyblade training and made us kill ourselves on the beach. I still find it hard to believe that we accepted her in the end.

"Uh… Kai?" At the sound of my voice, Tala and Bryan shoot me different looks. Bryan's screams "how dare you speak!" while Tala's is more of a "oh yeah, you're still here" look. Tala says something quickly to Kai in Russian (does he even know Japanese?) before he turns to Bryan. He gestures to their coats that are hanging on the wall, which Bryan fetches immediately. There's another reason to avoid Tala: anyone who can order Bryan around is borderline demonic. Lucifer (Tala) starts putting odds and ends into his bag before he takes his coat from Bryan.

Kai gestures for me to come closer. Now if only he was doing that while lying on a king-sized bed in nothing but a leather- Wait a second! Just now, when Tala and Bryan were heading to the door, something didn't look right. I know I only saw this in my peripheral, but I swear that it looked like they were holding hands! As in Tala was leading Bryan out by the hand! Either they are a lot closer than they care to admit, or I _really_ need to stop forcing my homoerotic views onto my surroundings.

Homoerotic… oh yeah, Kai.

"What did you need me for?" Without opening his eyes, he points to the wall behind me. I raise my eyebrows questioningly, which is useless since his eyes are closed. I turn to where his hand is pointing expecting something work related. Something that requires organizing, planning, moving, building, or removing.

I find nothing of the sort. It's only an outfit hanging on the wall. It's simple but attractive. Black slacks with a black blazer. The blazer has been embroidered around the collar with black lace and studs. A white loose turtle neck is hanging inside the blazer with a long silver chain necklace around the loose collar.

"Tomorrow I'm going to be meeting with several close clients. You will be accompanying me. You need to see what it is that I do." I whip my head around at Kai. Is he serious? What am I going to do? I don't know anything about this business.

As if sensing my shocked expression he continues without opening his eyes. "You won't have to do any speaking unless spoken to. You will act more as an assistant than anything. And you will wear those clothes."

"But Kai, why me?" His eyes open finally but he seems to be too tired to offer a stern look. Instead, he leans forward on his desk to makeup for his lack of aggression. "Out of all of the new employees, you seem to be the one lacking any progression." Ouch. "You need to see first hand how serious this business is. Your first lesson is how to dress."

Kai sits back in his chair and closes his eyes once again. "I'll see you tomorrow." I guess that's my cue to leave. I quietly take the clothes off the wall. I just noticed the pair of dress shoes sitting underneath them. Guess those are mine too?

Carrying everything, I walk quickly to the door. Before leaving, however, I spare one last glance at my ex-captain. God he's gorgeous.

"Good night Kai."

I open the door and step out. But before I close the door behind me, I hear something faint. It almost sounded like someone saying "Good night" coming from back inside the office… Did that come from Kai?

I must be tired.

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"Rei, you look terrible." Hello to you too Hilary. I can't blame her though. I'm a sweating, panting, fatigued mass of goo on my desk in the employee workroom.

"My class ran late, so I had to sprint to catch the earliest train here. Then I ran all the way from the station to the store so that Kai wouldn't have to wait for me only to find out that he isn't even here right now."

Hilary looks thoughtful for a minute, as if trying to remember something, before she focuses back on me. "Ah yeah, he was out for most of the day. He left around 9 this morning I believe, and he hasn't been back yet." She takes a seat in the desk across from me. She places a clear container in front of her, From my angle I can see the contents perfectly: strawberry cake with fresh cream. "By the way, I heard that you're tagging along for his meetings. That's exciting!" Your pep is not appreciated at this current moment in time.

I lift my upper-half off of the desk an inch to give her my not-amused face. "It's more like nerve-wracking! I don't know what I'm supposed to do at all, annnnnnd he gave me clothes to wear for it but I don't even know how they're supposed to look." _Bam_! Head and desk are reunited once more. I can hear the squeak of a chair as Hilary stands and makes her way to my side of the desk.

"Come on! Get up!" A tug on my arm and I'm up on my feet and headed for the employee locker room.

"Hey! Hil! Wait a second!" She's tugging me along like a toddler on those backpack leashes, by the back of my collar so that I'm stumbling backwards behind her! I'm barely able to dodge chairs and racks of clothes on the way.

"There's no more time to waste." She stops outside the men's locker room, shoves my bag in my hands and pushes me through the door. How am I supposed to get dressed? I don't even know how to wear these kinds of clothes! There are so many dangly parts and weird straps and-

"Get changed and I'll fix you up." I'm surprised I didn't hit the ceiling with how high I jumped out of my skin.

"Hilary! You're not supposed to be in here!" Why am I whispering? "This is the _men's_ locker room!"

She folds her arms and sticks up her nose at me. "Do you see any _men_ around?" I could have answered with a very mean retort implying that she is of the opposite sex, but I decide to save that one for Bryan. "And what does it matter anyway? Now hurry and change!" She clasps her hands behind her back and does an about face to give me some privacy. This is going to be interesting.

Okay let's see… First thing is pants. One leg in and another one in and pull them up….? Pull them _up_… Why won't these go any higher? Fine you stupid pants. I'll just use this belt to keep them at a decent altitude. Belt goes through the buckle and, how exactly does this buckle? What kind of weird contraption is this? Fine you stupid buckle. Okay, shirt is next. Arm hole here and another one here and head goes here!… Ok, head goes here… here? Where's the neck hole? Stupid shirt!

"Um, Hil? Can you help me out?" I hear her giggle before two hands are above my head untangling the mess I've made of the loose collar. Who needs that much fabric around their neck anyway? Isn't that what scarves are for? Yay! Air! Light! While I enjoy my newfound freedom Hilary grabs the blazer and holds it out for me to put on. After that she fusses over the shirt collar making sure that it hangs just right with the blazer and chain necklace. She fastens the belt figuring out that it resembles an airplane seatbelt buckle and should fasten as such. Who comes up with these bizarre trends? Well, at least it's all on me now.

"Now get your shoes on and I'll decide what to do with your hair. You can't wear it in that wrap, it doesn't match at all. I don't like it." Well it doesn't like you either Hilary. I quickly pull on the dress shoes (at least shoes are still worn the same way) while Hilary pulls off my wrap. After I sit up I feel a brush being run through my hair. Where did she get that anyway?

…

Uhhhhhhhhhhh, my neck's starting to feel stiff. Is she done yet? Glancing at the clock to my right, I can see that's it's been a grand total of… 2 minutes? Really? I feel like I've been sitting here for hours! Look what Tokyo has done to me! The fast pace of everything has made me into an impatient, whiny city dweller. And my professors don't think I've adapted to Japanese life. They should see me now, all agitated and fidgety. If I don't chill out, I'm going to turn into a wrinkly bag of rice like them. Note to self: don't mention that in class.

"You look great!" Not a wrinkly bag of rice anyway. Oh, Hilary's done. And she looks very pleased with herself. "Go see for yourself!" She gestures toward the mirror to my left and I slowly oblige.

What is staring back at me in the mirror is… me? Even though these clothes don't make sense at all, they don't look bad. How can Kai know that they would suit me, or fit me for that matter? How does he know my size? I'll just make a mental note to ask him later. As for Hilary's handiwork, she did a simple braid that starts at the side of my head instead of the back, that way I have to leave it over my shoulder.

I glance at Hilary before looking back at myself in the mirror. "I do look pretty nice." Apparently this isn't good enough for Hilary and she steps back into my line of sight. "Nice? Rei! You look amazing! You need to dress like this all the time! Kai really knows his stuff!" I would like to know his stuff too. Okay, hormones. Time for a vacation.

Hilary steps behind me and starts putting things away while I keep checking myself out in the mirror. I wonder if Kai will think I look good. He should, he picked out the clothes. A gasp from behind me snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Oh my gosh, look at the time!" Hilary grabs me by the shoulders and pushes me through the door. There's a lot of that going on recently. "Go get your things and head straight to the office! Kai should be back by now!" Shit! I almost forgot the whole reason for getting dressed up! I'll thank Hilary later. I rush out of the locker room and start into a sprint. Great, just when I had finally cooled down from all of the running earlier. But I have no choice.

I can't be late, not for this!

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_Next Chapter: Rei meets Kai's clients, and one client that he does not want to meet._

_Thank you for reading! (& reviewing please^^) see you next week hopefully~_


	6. Vodka

_Rainy Saturday :) i like rain, do you like rain? i want to go out with mama today, i hope it's still raining then~ anyway, this is the longest chapter so far, yay! i don't know how it got so long, i just kept adding... and adding... and adding xP _

_please enjoy and let me know what you think :)_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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My legs are still sore. How do I know this? Because I am currently running up the same stairs I had to marathon the day before while taking two at a time to get from the fifth floor to the seventh floor since the elevator is currently being repaired and I don't want to miss Kai because if I do he will think of me as incompetent and never rely on me ever again and our relationship will never grow leaving me to forever be a lonely neko-jin with no boyfriend and an apartment full of 23 cats.

I should make an appointment to see a doctor. All of this stress can't be good for my health.

Good news is that I've finally made it to Silver Bullet. Bad news is that it's completely deserted. Even the lights have been shut off leaving only the mandatory emergency lights. Maybe he's still in the office. I just need to run up there and… Kai?

I stumble over myself trying to avoid collision with the register. Kai and the two Russian bastards are making their way down the stairs. Sensing my presence (or noticing my heavy breathing) Kai glances at me on his way down. Also noticing me, Tala sends me a smirk, "Sorry Kon, you're-"

"Just in time." What? Tala sends Kai a questioning look. Hell, even I thought I was too late! Kai turns to the others and utters a few Russian words to which they simply nod and make they're way past him down the rest of the stairs. They're not coming along? Tala leads the way out of the store while Bryan goes out of his way to ram into my shoulder, again and harder than before. Good to know he thinks of others.

Rubbing my _other_ bruised shoulder, I glare daggers at their retreating backs. If my eyes could kill those two would…. Probably be unscathed and would have come after me with a flame thrower. Oh well, good thing my eyes can't kill. What's that heavenly smell?

Turning back to Kai I swallow my yelp of surprise. He has moved to stand right in front of me! And that smell is coming from him! God how I wish that smell was all over my bed sheets. And he's not looking at my face like he usually does. He's looking at my body! Kai, you dog! No wait. His gaze isn't lustful. It's scrutinizing.

"They look good." Does he have x-ray vision? "The clothes." Oh, so that's what he was staring at. Damn, the least he could have said was "_you_ look good _in_ those clothes". Asshole. Sexy asshole.

He removes the messenger bag from his shoulder and holds it out to me. Why does he want me to carry his stuff? He's got two arms that aren't broken. Maybe those Russian bastards are starting to rub off on him and he expects other people to do his shit for him. He raises one eyebrow at me as I continue to stare at the bag and him. What does he expect me to do?

"_You will act more as an assistant than anything."_

Assistant? Assistant! "Oh!" I quickly take the bag and sling it over my own shoulder. Way to make an ass of yourself Kon. The first big assignment Kai gives you and you blow it from the get go.

"That bag has everything I need for the meetings we will be attending." I nod without meeting his eyes, I'm too stupid to be allowed the pleasure of meeting his eyes. "When I mention a project during the meetings you must immediately retrieve the corresponding document. I should not have to tell you directly, it needs to be an automatic response." Automatic response. Got it! I nod again without meeting his eyes. "There will be plenty of drinking during these meetings. Make sure my glass is never empty." Pour his drinks. Got it! I nod again without looking up.

Suddenly, I feel a cool hand on my chin that forces my head up to meet crimson eyes. God, they're even more beautiful up close! So close. If only I could get just a bit closer…

Those crimson eyes change from a stern glare to softer look. "We may be meeting with my very close clients Rei, but even my assistant needs to appear stronger than them. Always meet someone else's eyes when they speak to you. Understood?" I pause letting his words sink in. The way he spoke just now was so gentle compared to how he spoke just a second ago.

"Y-yeah." His eyes seem to soften even further before he releases my chin. "The limo is waiting outside. Let's go." He walks briskly past me, but not before I quickly take two big sniffs of his cologne. Oh heavenly scent never leave my nasal canal. I smile goofily to myself before turning and following Kai.

We make our way out of the building and into a limo parked in the service lot to the side of the building. Wow, this limo is amazing! Where as his office looked like a night club, his limo looks like a palace! Everything on the inside looks so Victorian and classy, nothing like any other limo (not that I've been in any other limo). There is a color scheme of crème and ivory. As the driver makes his way to the first destination, Kai briefs me on the client we are about to meet.

"Mr. Mikimoto is very prestigious, so it's important to stay on his good side. He likes to stray from the topic at hand. We need to take care of business as soon as possible or we'll be late for our next meeting." It's obvious that my eyes give away my shock when Kai continues. "Yes, I said 'we.' He's a difficult client to work with so I need your help to keep things on track."

"I'll try my best, but I don't know how well I can do." He seems at least a bit satisfied with this answer as he nods and then sits back, eyes closed. Why am I so nervous? This is just like meeting anybody else.. Right? Yeah, these people are just highly prestigious and probably have the authority to make Kai's business or run it into the ground at his expense depending on how well I represent his workforce this very evening.

…There must be something I could do to prepare. While pondering, my hands brush over the leather of the messenger bag in my lap. That's it! I open the messenger bag to find about seven folders of just paper. Well, let's take a look. Each folder has a small plastic tab on the side with, what I'm guessing is, the name of the document it contains. They all have names relating to either Silver Bullet or JACKROSE. Maybe I should alphabetize them so they're easier to find. Let's see, "Model Organizing: Popteen". Put that in the middle. "Euro Trance Event" goes near the front. "Men's Egg Promotion", put that in front of MOP… Hey! That's an easy way to remember them!

Why do I feel eyes on me? Maybe it's just nerves.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Ah! Young Hiwatari! It's been far too long my boy!" A large, balding man with tiny eyes stands up from a low table and takes Kai into a strong hug. Does this man have a death wish? But to my surprise, Kai returns the hug with just as much vigor. I guess when Kai said that these are his close clients he really meant _close._

We arrived at a rather nice traditional Japanese restaurant and were lead to the back where this room is located. There are about fifteen men seated around a long, low table, all of them drinking and chatting about business. The ones closest to us have turned their attention to Kai and are giving modest greetings.

"It has, Mr. Mikimoto." Kai is speaking with that charming voice again. I guess he does use that for business purposes.

"Sit, sit both of you! Kai, what would you like to drink? Vodka I assume?" He gives a hardy laugh while Kai takes a seat to the man's immediate right. There is an empty spot on Kai's right, but do I sit there? As if sensing my uncertainty, Kai places his hand on the edge of the pillow I am eyeing. Discretely, he pats the edge just slightly as if to tell me to sit. "This is my new assistant, Rei Kon." Guess I am sitting there. I offer Mikimoto a deep bow before taking my seat.

"Ah what an interesting look he has! He could probably win you over a lot of deals my boy!" Another hardy laugh and he takes a large gulp of his Asahi beer. I think he's had enough already.

"So as we were discussing over the phone, I would like to go forward with the collaboration photo shoot with Mikimoto accessories and RHYDEAL clothing." Kai begins talking business from the start like he planned. Now what was I supposed to do? Oh yeah! Mikimoto and RHYDEAL. That was the "MR." document. I open the bag and finger past "MOP" and "MEP". Here we go!

I pull out the folder and hand it to Kai. He takes it quickly and opens it pulling out two stabled bunches of paper.

"Ah, the young Hiwatari! Always eager to do business! There is plenty of time for that. Now where is that vodka?" He really does get off topic. Should I step in now?

"Well, while we wait for the vodka, maybe you would like to thumb through the collaboration plan that my associates have put together." Kai takes the second stack and pushes it in front of Mikimoto to look through. Mikimoto takes another gulp of beer and places the glass to the left of the papers. "You know, you are still young my boy! Why not live a little? I wish that, when I was your age, I would have let loose a bit more, you know? Lived it up while I could." The associate to his left agrees with this statement and they both begin to chat animatedly. While Kai is staying calm on the outside, I know that he is boiling on the inside. Time to step in Kon.

"But it is a good idea to take care of business first. That way everyone can enjoy themselves for the rest of the evening without having to think about work." The room goes silent and I can feel everyone's eyes fall on me. Even Kai's eyes give away that he is surprised at my early input. I can tell he wasn't expecting me to intervene on my own. Crap, no one's saying anything. I think I just screwed up the first meeting already.

"My boy! How come you have never brought this assistant along before? He is very bright!" He sends me a pleased smile before looking back at Kai. "Now let us look at those papers!" The room recovers quickly and everyone goes back to their own conversations. Kai and Mikimoto begin going through the first set of papers.

Alright Kon, not bad. But don't get cocky yet! You still have six more meetings to go through. Stay focused!

I'm brought out of my thoughts by the clunk of a bottle and two shot glasses being placed in front of Kai. He glances at it but goes back to the paperwork. That must be the vodka.

After another minute of discussing, Mikimoto signs the second stack of papers. During their conversation, Kai mentioned that this was the contract. Need to keep that safe!

Suddenly, Mikimoto raises his glass and calls everyone's attention. "I would like to make a toast to the continued partnership between Mikimoto Accessories and Silver Bullet Fashions…" As he makes his speech the associate seated next to me takes one of the glasses and pours some of the vodka into it. He then hands it to me, giving me a smile. Why did he do that?

"_Make sure my glass is never empty."_

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. I place my glass on the table quickly and grab the other before carefully pouring a decent amount of vodka into it. I then place it in front of Kai with a loud clunk. Good, Mikimoto is still talking. Kai takes his glass and gestures it to me in a fake "thanks" but that look in his eyes is anything but appreciative. I know Kai, I'm an idiot.

I pick up my glass as well just as Mikimoto nears the end of his speech. We all raise our glasses in a toast to whatever he just said. Well, time to drink. I lift the glass to my lips and take a big gulp.

…!

Oh. God! This isn't alcohol, this is jet fuel mixed with lighter fluid blended together with sulfuric acid! I try to hide a cough as I clench my eyes shut and fight to keep the liquid, and my tears, down. Now I know Kai isn't mortal! No one who is actually afraid to die could drink this!

I grasp the sides of the pillow I'm sitting on as the burn of the vodka finally subsides. I survived, for now. Please don't fill my glass anymore. As I blink the last traces of tears out of my vision, I notice that Kai is looking at me with a mixed expression. His face looks somewhere between concerned and amused. Gee, thanks Kai. But wait. What's that? Admiration? I can't fully register it before he has turned back to Mikimoto. And the damned associate next to me has refilled my glass again!

I refill Kai's glass as well when he sets it down. He takes it up again and downs it quickly. Yup, he's not mortal. Well, bottoms up. I go to take my own glass as well when a hand stops me. Kai's hand. I look up to ask him why he stopped me but he's not listening. He's listening to his current conversation with Mikimoto but is also occasionally looking about the room. I haven't seen him act this way since his last beyblade match. It's the look he gets when he's waiting for the right moment to attack.

Suddenly, Kai uses the hand that stopped me to switch his empty glass with my full one. He then continues on like nothing happened, drinking from my glass. A movement from my right draws my attention. The associate is moving to refill the empty glass in front of me. He didn't notice! I look about the room. No one noticed!

As the meeting draws on the practice of switching glasses repeats for about three more cycles. Kai you're amazing!

"My my! Your assistant sure knows how to hold his liquor! And here I thought that he was a lightweight! Ho ho ho!" Christmas already?

"You should know by now, Mr. Mikimoto, that I do not associate with lightweights."

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Are we done yet?" I couldn't help but ask as I flopped into the back of the limo.

"There is only one more meeting and then we can both go home." Kai follows me into the limo, in a much more dignified manner mind you. I don't know how he does it. All night he has been downing vodka while I only had one glass of the stuff and a couple of beers. How is it that he is so composed? I'm already borderline tipsy.

We have gone through almost all of the meetings for tonight. Each one went well without me screwing anything up (thank every higher power ever worshipped). I had the opportunity of meeting Kai's different clients. For being an antisocial brick wall, Kai knows a lot of different characters. Some are fat, some are small. Some are short, some are tall. Some are bald, some have hair. Some from here, some from there. And for each client, Kai handles them differently depending on their personalities.

I feel eyes on me again, but it can't be nerves. I've gotten past that.

"Rei." I turn to look at Kai. Has he been looking at me this whole time? "I need to tell you about this particular client."

"Is he a chatterbox too?" I offer him a smug smile. If he is, I can handle him!

Kai looks out the window, obviously not as amused as I am. "No, he's not." He stretches out his arm to force his sleeve back revealing a very expensive looking watch. He checks the time before he continues. "This meeting started at 9pm. We'll be joining them three hours late. By now he would have had plenty to drink."

"Is he a rowdy drunk?"

Kai shakes his head. Just as he opens his mouth to speak the limo slows to a stop. "We're here. Don't behave any differently." I nod my head and follow him out of the limo and into a European style restaurant.

"Kai Hiwatari! Skol'ko let, skol'ko zim!" I'm guessing that's the client. He has a receding hairline, a pair of thick red glasses on his large hooked nose and his built is large and toned, except for his beer belly. He is also speaking Russian. Perfect.

Kai nods his head in greeting. "Privet." I give a slight bow out of respect. It is then that the client's eyes fall on me.

I don't care much for that look he's giving me. It's the look a girl on a diet gives a tic tac. It's… hungry.

Kai steps in front of me drawing the attention back on himself. He says a few words in Russian and then my name before he heads around the table. He was probably introducing me? I don't think he would say anything like "Rei Kon is a total butthead." Not here anyway.

The group is smaller, only about eight people are seated around the long table. Kai takes the seat directly to the right of the client, but there isn't an empty seat next to it. The only seat I can see is to the direct left of the scary guy. He lifts his large hand and gestures to said seat. "Please, sit." He may be smiling but that doesn't make me feel any better. Still, I hurry to the other side of the table as to not make things awkward.

"My name is Pavel Ivanovich Belanov." He raises his hand towards me. I accept the handshake, if it can even be called that. He doesn't even have a firm grip. It's almost like he's just holding my hand…

With that thought I slip my hand out of his and place it back on the table. Did someone crank up the AC? I've got goose bumps.

Creepy guy turns back to Kai and they begin discussing business right away. Well, that's what I can pick up anyway. They're speaking in Russian. Good thing there is only one file left in the bag. I wouldn't have known what they would be talking about otherwise.

"blah blah blah Euro Trance blah blah…" I could just barely pick out the English while Kai is speaking. I reach into the bag and pull out the last folder. Yup, Folder "ET". I'm about to slide it to Kai when that large hand is back on mine! I look up into Creepy's eyes and, sure enough, he's giving me that same hungry stare. Seriously, someone get this man a sandwich!

"I'll take that, pet." I think I just threw up a little. I know I'm supposed to appear like a strong assistant for Kai, but I just can't when Creepy gives me that look. I let my gaze drop and relinquish the folder to the large Russian. He then returns the favor with a smile showing off his train wreck that he calls his teeth. Hey, that's a pretty painting on the wall. I'll look at that.

Kai finishes business quickly and he hands the, now signed, papers back to me. He and Creepy then sit casually, drinking and chatting. Every so often I catch Creepy looking over at me, just looking. Then Kai will say something that brings his attention back to the conversation.

After having downed alcohol all night, Kai seems a bit more relaxed. He's sitting back, one arm folded under the other, which is holding a glass of vodka. If he was wearing his glasses I don't think I would be able to contain- Hand! Hand on my thigh!

I physically stiffen and dart my eyes to Creepy for a split second. He's still looking at Kai but he has a disgusting sneer on his face now. I lean back in my chair to look under the table. His hand is huge! It's eating my leg! Get it off!

Noticing that I'm looking at what he's doing, he gives my thigh a squeeze. The glasses on the table clatter as I nearly smash his hand between my leg and the underside of the table. He doesn't remove his hand but I receive questioning looks from the other guests. Kai doesn't seem as shocked as the rest of them, still leaning back casually and sipping his vodka. Creepy laughs off my outburst and comments about how much energy I have. Asshole.

He and Kai continue talking as I try to compose myself. Fifteen minutes pass by slowly, too slowly. I could be hired as a mannequin. I haven't moved a millimeter! That is until the hand on my thigh moves a fraction higher up my leg, and then inward. The surprise causes my arm to jerk, in turn knocking over a glass of vodka onto Creepy's lap. Well, at least he's not touching me anymore.

"I'm so sorry." Not really. You deserved it you perverted old bat! But that's probably not the best thing to say to one of Kai's clients.

He laughs off my apology and dabs at his soaked trousers with a napkin. "It's quite alright pet. I needed a bit of, uh, cooling off." Gross. I look to Kai to see if he is upset. He certainly has gotten a bit angrier in the past few minutes, but he's not doing anything that he wasn't doing before.

"Perhaps this is a good time to take our leave. Wouldn't want my assistant to start breaking things." I am both relieved and distraught. We're getting away from Creepy, but I completely messed up the meeting.

I'm in for it.

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_Next Chapter: Something's wrong with Kai, and Hilary schools Rei._

_reviews~ please and thank you! see you next week hopefully :)_


	7. Strawberry Waffles

_Good morning :) Saturday is here~ I can't believe I'm already uploading chapter 7! almost to the halfway point lol_

_ahh my stomach really hurts this morning xP_

_I really appreciate the attention my story has been receiving. So randomly yesterday I made these for anyone who wants them. They're nothing special lol They're pictures of models but i recolored their hair and eyes and did a little more editting. I hope you like them^^ (remember to remove the spaces in the url for them to work)_

_Rei: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackroserei2. jpg **model: Mikki_

_Kai: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/Jackrosekai. jpg **model: Park Younghee_

_Hilary: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackrosehilary. jpg** model: unknown_

_Tala: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackrosetala. jpg **model: Park Younghee_

_Bryan: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackrosebryan. jpg **model: Park Younghee_

_Max: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackrosemax. jpg **model: Kohaku_

_Tyaon: **http:/i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackrosetyson. jpg **model: Kohaku_

_So please enjoy and i appreciate your thoughts^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

This…. Is awkward.

We just left the meeting with Creepy and are now sitting in the limo heading back home. It's been a couple of minutes and Kai hasn't said anything about what had occurred back at the restaurant. I guess the driver assumed that we wanted some quiet time since it was so late and turned off the radio when we entered the limo. Now it's not just awkward, but an awkward silence.

I glance at Kai sitting on my left. He has his eyes closed and is resting his head against the door. His face looks too sour for him to be asleep. I wonder if he's feeling alright. I turn my head back to the, now empty, messenger bag in my lap. Ow… moved too fast. I guess I have been too rigid for too long. Have I been sitting like this the whole time? Glancing at Kai again, I remove the bag from my lap and slowly place it between the two of us. Very slowly. I'm afraid that if I place it down too hard he'll somehow hear it and lash out at me.

Satisfied with where the bag is, I quickly turn left and right to force my back to crack twice. I do the same maneuver with my neck. Ahhh that felt good. I enjoy the refreshed feeling before slumping back into my seat.

I'm about to place my hands on my lap, but that somehow reminds me of what Creepy had done to me not too long ago. So I settle for placing them on the seat by my legs. Perverted old fool. I hope he ends up fondling the wrong gay guy and gets his head bitten clean off his neck. Queers can be scary.

"He touched you."

It was more of a statement than a question. My eyes slide to the left to see Kai's face, but other than that I stay put. He is still leaning against the door but I can see crimson peaking out from behind grey bangs. He looks kind of drowsy. Which is kind of hot! He's still looking at me so I guess he wants some sort of acknowledgement. I look forward again and give a small nod.

"Hn." That sounded frustrated. I clench my fists at my sides because, for some reason, that just pisses me off. Is he mad at me for what Creepy did? I didn't ask him to put his hands on me! And surely he wouldn't expect me to just sit there and take it! I'm not some China doll that old fat cats can just handle all over! "Look Kai, I know that-"

"I'm sorry."

Can I get an instant replay? Did the great Hiwatari just apologize? And to me?

"I wanted to tell you ahead of time about how he is when he's drunk. I used to bring Tala along to these meetings. But after his first encounter with Belanov, he refused to accompany me to any meeting. Belanov had given Tala…. Special attention." No surprise there. Tala receives attention from both men and women. He has so much sex appeal that I wouldn't be surprised if a blind man has made a move on the Russian bastard before.

"Bryan began to join me at these meetings instead. But he's not the best business associate out there." I couldn't hide my snicker at this statement. "So I needed to find a new assistant. I just wish that I knew…" He trails off at the end of this statement and his eyes flash to me for a split second. I wait for him to continue, but he shakes his head and looks out the window.

"Kai. You wish that you knew what?" I lean over to get a better look at him. He doesn't sound too good. And he never speaks this much in a regular conversation. Is he feeling ok?

He turns to me and that's when I notice his eyes. They're glazed over and half-lidded. His breathing is a lot less controlled too. He goes to readjust his position, but since I've known him for so many years, I notice him sway forward just a bit before straightening again. No way! Kai is… he's….

Drunk!

I quickly close a hand over my mouth to hide the amused sound that I knew would escape. I thought I would die before I ever saw Kai even just a bit tipsy! I make a mental note to save this in my memory for future enjoyment.

"I thought it would be ok to bring you along. I didn't think Belanov would do anything to you." Did he even hear my question? He looks at me for a bit before his right hand reaches over the messenger bag and takes the end of my braid. He lifts it up and plays with it lazily before he brings it to his lips. I think he's smelling my hair. I've never seen him act so affectionate and I can feel my face heating up! If he notices, I'll blame it on the alcohol.

"I have to admit that when I gave you the clothes to wear, I wasn't expecting much of a difference." Ouch. But really, who can blame him? I wasn't expecting much either. "I wouldn't have brought you to see Belanov if I knew you would look this good."

Dead. I'm dead. Kai said that I look good! I don't care if it was alcohol induced! It came from his lips and I am a witness!

The limo makes a sharp turn and Kai shuts his eyes tight before he drops his head against his seat. Aww, my love is so buzzed. I just want to take him to bed and baby him until he's sober… Then I can _really _take him to bed.

The limo comes to a stop in front of a rather large and modern style house. I guess this is Kai's place. The limo driver opens the door on Kai's side and he staggers out. I climb out of the door next to me and rush to his side before he falls over. Or barfs. Or both. I make it to his side just as he stumbles slightly.

"Kai, let me help you." I take one of his arms and try to tug it over my shoulders. He is resilient, however, which causes him to slump over onto me. This also causes his face to stop just about 3 inches from mine. Could this night get any better?

For a moment he doesn't move, and I don't want to try and move him. I like him right where he is. His half-lidded eyes and ragged breathing are giving me the kind of fantasies that could put trashy novels to shame. But this is Kai, so the good feelings don't last as he pushes himself up and away from me.

"I'm fine. Go home." I should have known he wouldn't have accepted assistance from anyone, even if he is drunk. I watch him make his way to the front door while fumbling with his keys. Once the door is opened he steps inside and the door falls shut. I stand and stare at his front door for a moment longer before turning and sliding back into the limo. The driver also takes his place up front and he soon drives off.

As we turn a corner, I feel something fall onto my arm. I look down to find Kai's messenger bag still sitting on the middle seat. I don't know why, but this makes me smile.

He works too hard.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

I hate waiting. Especially waiting for something that I don't want to happen.

It's the day before the opening. All of the display stands and cases have been assembled. The items that are here have been put out. There are multicolored lights hanging from the ceiling, some moving and some directed at mannequins to emphasize the outfits. Tyson and Max did a great job. Although empty, the store looks alive from just the lights alone. Said two are waiting along side myself. Max is sitting on one of the display cases that I am leaning against while Tyson, being more impatient, is pacing back and forth. The other employees are scattered throughout the store. Except for Ken. He's waiting in the parking garage downstairs. What are we all waiting for?

The new arrivals. Or rather, the haven't-arrived-at-all's. They will be here any minute now. When they do finally get here, this place is going to turn into a battlefield. We need to sort what is going in which store and which items will be displayed upfront. Then the clothes need to be organized and some people (not me) will dress the mannequins in an "attractive coordination." Yeah, I still don't know how to dress myself, but I rather like braiding my hair now.

"We should go for some strawberry waffles after this." ... I turn to Max slowly. Where did that come from?

The sound of a ring tone draws everyone's attention to Aloysha, another Russian employee who stayed loyal to Kai. Unlike Ken, Aloyshais single. And unlike Ken, I'm pretty sure he's a queer. Let's just say he's really friendly with the male clientele. And the really good lookingcustomers, he likes to dress them up. I'm not worried about him and Kai though. He has said before that Kai scares the living gay right out of him. Not his exact words.

He answers his phone quickly and Ken's voice can be heard on the other line. Now you know that it's quiet: even when the phone is not on speaker everyone can hear what Ken is saying.

"Aloysha, the new arrivals just got here."

"Got it." Aloysha hangs up and looks at everyone in the room. "Alright, everyone. Get downstairs. I want to see each of you carrying at least two boxes. Now move!" We don't have to be told twice. Everyone hustles down to the parking garage. Some employees take the elevator while others take the back stairway. Our trio ops for the stairs since there's no waiting and no crowd. Once we reach the garage, we find two medium sized, white trucks. Four men are unloading boxes upon boxes of merchandise. Some of the other employees have already grabbed a couple boxes each and are heading back to the elevators.

"Alright, come on guys." I wave a hand for Tyson and Max to follow as I head towards the trucks. Max follows obediently while all I get from Tyson is a drawn-out groan.

"But Rei….. There are so MANY!" Exactly, which is why you should help! And here I thought that college would actually force Tyson to mature. A time machine couldn't force Tyson to mature.

"Come on Tyson! It's not that much! And everyone is helping out." Max's supply of pep is immeasurable. He takes Tyson by the hand and half drags him to the truck. I grab a stack of three and hand them to Tyson. Even though he's lazy, he is strong. The boxes are pretty big, however, so he has to crane his head around to see where he's going as he heads back to the stairs. I hand a stack of two to Max. The boxes barely touch his fingers before he is off like a shot.

"Let's go Tyson! I'll race you!" It's a bit unfair that he says this as he passes Tyson in a sprint. Of course Tyson isn't one to back down from a challenge, and he chases after Max. "No fair, Maxie! I've got way more than you!" I highly doubt that one more box can be considered "way more", but that's just me. Hope they don't drop anything.

The process of going down for boxes and bringing them up to the fifth floor repeats a couple times. Even though there are so many employees, some people still had to make three trips before all of the boxes are sitting in JACKROSE. For a moment, all of the employees sit around the boxes waiting for their bodies to cool down. The few who actually ran (Max and Tyson being in this group) are off to the side lying around and catching their breath.

"Ok." Ken is the first to speak up, "Let's get these boxes sorted. Take what belongs to your store according to the shipping lists and organize them into their own boxes." Each store's employees separate into their own small groups. This is the easy part. Look at the store's list, find an item number, find a box with the item number on the label, and take the items. I like this.

After about an hour of sorting, the employees for Silver Bullet and RHYDEAL take their items and return to their own stores. Aloysha says a quick farewell and heads next door as well. Most of our employees have already grabbed a few of the, I'm guessing, nicer items and are placing them on display at the front. Ken is taking two boxes over to a set of mannequins and is starting to dress them. Max and Tyson have teamed up at a display table and are folding clothes into neat stacks. Well, Max is anyway, along with teaching Tyson how to fold clothes. There are a couple more boxes still sitting on the ground in front of me…

But what do I do?

"Boo!"

"Ahhh!" I fall onto my ass, a defense mechanism that I have perfected. Angrily, I turn to see who my attacker is. "Hilary! What was that for?"

"For standing around not doing anything." She says this, but she has a sweet smile on her face. "Grab a box and help out!" She takes the initiative and grabs a box herself.

Ah yeah, about that Hilary. I'm fashion deficient, remember? You of all people should know this. I give an audible sigh and her features soften in understanding. "Here." She hands over the box and goes to retrieve another one for herself. "Follow me."

She leads me to the back corner of the store that has not yet been touched. There stand three naked mannequins, all male and well-built. Did I mention naked? Good thing they're only from the waist up.

She places her box on the ground out of the way and I follow her lead. She then pulls over one of the display tables and takes the contents from the first box and lays them out. These are all accessories and smaller items. Then she kicks over the other box and opens it up revealing actual articles of clothing. Finally, she turns to me with a determined look. "Watch carefully." I nod and she sets to work.

Pulling out a random piece of clothing from one of the clear bags inside the box, she unfolds it to reveal a t-shirt. But nicer. It has a graphic design and a v-neck. "A t-shirt for a casual appearance."

She places this on one of the mannequin. She then goes back to the box and pulls out another item, a black blazer. "A blazer. They're popular right now."

She then places that on the same mannequin and heads for the small table of accessories. She picks a long necklace that has several chains of different shades of silver. "A flashy necklace for individuality."

The necklace makes a hollow noise has it is placed around the neck of the mannequin. She then wraps a plaid scarf several times around the mannequin's neck until there are no loose ends. "And a scarf for the season." She steps back to let me admire her work.

How is it that a girl can dress a male mannequin better than I can dress myself? I'm feeling depressed again.

"Now it's your turn." I look at her in disbelief. I can't manage to come up with something like she did! I can tell by the look on her face that she isn't going to intervene until I've at least tried. That's how she works. I exhale loudly and turn to the naked mannequin next to Hilary's creation. Well, lets get this over with.

What do we have here? This looks ok. It's in style right? Or else it wouldn't be here. What the hell is this? I'm not touching that. Put this here. It's ok if I use two, right? I guess that looks ok. It doesn't look horrible anyway. Slip this on and…. done?

I step back to look at the whole mannequin. I placed a simple, long-sleeved, dark grey sweater on it and used a single chain necklace and a longer necklace with a skull shaped pendant on top. The sweater has a red knit breast pocket on the left side.

"It's not bad Rei." Hilary comes to stand beside me. "But it's safe." She walks over to the table and grabs a red and blue beanie. "You see how the sweater has a unique red pocket? This hat," she places said hat on the mannequins neck, "will make it stand out." She's right, it looks more interesting this way. More unique. Holy crap! Am I actually starting to understand clothes?

"Try it one more time Rei." She again steps back to allow me room to work. After a couple minutes and a lot less fussing, I've put together something I'm a little bit more proud of. A grey and black striped sweater, black aviator jacket with white fur trim, black and white snow goggle beanie, and a long black chain necklace with a large crucifix at the end. I'm busy admiring my work when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Rei. You have come a long way my friend." Hilary gives my shoulder a squeeze and nods to the rest of the boxes still on the floor. "Now, get to work."

A couple hours pass and the store actually looks like a store now. The boxes have been removed and the extra stock has been taken to the back. We're finally done!

"Good job everyone!" Ken is standing at the head of the store. "Everything looks great!" There is a low murmur of agreement amongst the group. Did anyone notice my mannequins? I like the way the light hits them just right. Did anyone see them yet? They do look really good for my first time. Why hasn't anyone said anything about them?

Ken suddenly goes silent and his eyes focus on the entrance of the store. "Mr. Hiwatari." The group quiets down and everyone turns to the front. Sure enough, Kai is making his way through the store followed by the Russian bastards. His gaze is scrutinizing as he looks about the store. Tala is also scrutinizing the store, but he will actually walk up to mannequins and adjust the clothing. He doesn't outright burn anything that he sees, so I guess he doesn't hate any of it.

Everyone is watching Kai and they remain silent in case he says something. Towards the back his eyes fall onto a mannequin on the opposite side of the store, away from my creations. He approaches it and gives it a hard look.

"Who did this one?"

There is a pause. Then a younger employee steps out of the crowd. "It was me, sir." The boy looks to be in his last year of high school. He has a decent sense of fashion, but nowhere near, say, someone like Tala.

Kai doesn't look at the boy. "This coordination… It's too expected." I don't know exactly what that's supposed to mean, but the poor kid seems to take it to heart. Kai looks about the store before he spots something on one of the display racks. "Bring me the grey jacket." The teen looks a bit startled but sets off to retrieve the item. As he does, Kai removes the black blazer from the mannequin, leaving a white, long-sleeved, printed shirt, a black undershirt, and a black scarf.

The boy returns with the grey jacket and Kai trades him the black blazer. "Do not have more than two items of the same solid color on one outfit. It's boring." He places the long grey jacket on the mannequin and folds the sleeves up revealing the white sleeves underneath. The teen nods his head in understanding. While he goes to put the blazer back in it's appropriate place, Kai turns to the rest of the group.

"It's good. We're ready for tomorrow."

The group erupts in relief. I, myself, let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Everyone separates to collect their things and head home. Now it's my turn to get a good night's rest. Didn't Max want to get strawberry waffles? That sounds pretty good right now. I wonder where the best place-

"Rei." I stop in my tracks and turn to where I heard my name. Kai is standing in the corner of the room… with my mannequins. Shit.

I walk briskly over and stop behind his turned back. Maybe he doesn't know I did them!

"You did these."

Statement, not a question. Shit again. "Yeah." Part of me wants to take credit for Hilary's design and rub it all over Kai's face (and other parts) but I'm not one to take credit for someone else's work. "Except for the one on the right. That's-"

"Hilary's." How does he know? I'm starting to get freaked out.

"How did you know that?" He still doesn't turn around, but instead steps closer to the mannequin at the end, the last one I designed. He fingers the fabric of the aviator in an appreciative manner.

"The one on the end shows real care in how everything matches up. Both feminine and masculine. The way a girl would want her boyfriend to dress." He can tell all of this just by looking?

"These two, however, show basic skill. They are assembled with a lot of concentration but hold an underlying uniqueness." His hand pauses while still holding the end of the jacket. Then his crimson eyes turn to me. "Your style." I have a style?

As Kai moves to the next mannequin and straightens the clothes I realize something.

Kai looks really good in leather.

_And_ I'm starting to see exactly why he's in this business to begin with. He knows what he's talking about. Obviously he knows how to dress himself and others. He even knows what someone is thinking when they pick an outfit. It's no wonder he became such a high name in fashion couture-ing… whatever it's called.

Satisfied with the displays, he turns away from the clothes and steps past me to leave. He's probably heading back to the office. When he comes to stand just behind me, however, I feel him pause.

"Good work."

I think my heart just stopped.

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_Next Chapter: Rei is making improvements, or so he thinks._

_Thank you for reading~ See you next week maybe? yeah? :D_


	8. Truffle

_Good morning! it's finally Saturday :D I've had a long week of tests and speeches, this update is my reward lol oh and just because i still act like a 6-year-old_

**_Monday is my BIRTHDAY!_**

_lol did you get excited? I got excited xP anyway CHAPTER 8! thank you for reading~_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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I practically fly through the front door into my apartment. Is it possible to be this happy? Well it's possible, because I am! Life, at the moment, could not get any better! I have seen Kai wasted, the store opens tomorrow so no more heavy work, and I've proven to Kai that I do belong at this job… so far anyway. The only thing that would make my life better is, well, Kai. But that will come later! Hehe, come…

Yup, store opens tomorrow! It's a big day! No classes are scheduled, so I can get a good nights sleep before the opening with plenty of time to get dressed and….

_Shit nuggets!_

What the hell am I going to wear? What time is it? Damn, it's already 10pm. No stores will be open now. Guess I have to pull something together from what I have.

I sprint to my closet (because closets can run away) and slide the doors open to reveal… nothing. All I have is a weeks worth of shirts and pants. Defeated, I sit on my ass in front of the open doors. Now what?

I scan my closet from my new position on the floor. Ugly shirt, ugly shirt, ugly pants, ugly shirt… Hello, what's this? I reach into the far back corner of my closet. It's a black garbage bag. I pull it out and immediately untie it. As I pull open the top I am greeted with plaid. Plaid? Oh yeah! These are my winter clothes that I put away. It hasn't gotten really cold yet so I didn't think to bring them out.

I dump the bag over and spread its contents on the floor around me. Let's see, I've got a sweater. Yuck, even _I_ know that looks terrible. Ok, a black hoodie. There isn't anything on it though. The last thing that fell out was a pair of black snow boots. They are kind of beaten up, but they look like the boots I've seen some guys wear now. Maybe I could use them.

I lay out the black hoodie, a pair of my plain jeans, and the boots on the floor. It looks alright, mostly because of the boots. But I feel like something is missing at the top.

Unfortunately, I didn't jump on the fashion bandwagon soon enough so I still haven't bought anything new. I won't be able to buy anything nice to wear until the day after tomorrow. The outfit will just have to do on its own. At this particular thought, my mouth is forced open as a yawn escapes me.

Time for bed anyway.

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I'm glad I went with the hoodie. It's really cold today.

I arrive at 109-2 about half an hour before opening. The store opens at 9am along with the rest of the mall, but for this special day the head committee of 109 has allowed the mall to open before the stores. They said it is so they can wait in front of Kai's stores until they open and not cause traffic at the entrance. Or something like that. I don't quite get it. Even now the mall is completely deserted. What was the point of letting people in early?

My question has been answered. I just got to the fifth floor and my eyes nearly fall out of their sockets. There is a line blocked off by velvet ropes where a massive crowd is waiting in front of our store and RHYDEAL. They all came for the opening? It's clothes, people, not Belgian chocolate cake. I would line up for that.

I slip into the employee entrance by the emergency exit. Walking into JACKROSE this morning is like the calm before the storm. There has been promotion all over the city about all of Kai's stores. I'm sure there are going to be more people coming in later. Fuck me.

Most of the employees have come in for this morning. I guess they are needed to handle the rush. Everything is set up, but a few people are making last minute adjustments to displays. I spot Max and Tyson working on a set of lights which (and I'm just guessing since they are all black) have burnt out. Tyson and Max both look really nice today. Their clothes look crisp and it seems like they had them planned out for a while.

As a matter of fact, everyone here looks a lot better than they have while the store was being worked on. I do a slow 360° turn, carefully observing each employee as I spot them. They all look great! Nothing about their clothes look off or careless.

… I'm starting to feel a bit self-conscious.

"Okay, everyone! We have 2 minutes before we open!" Ken appears from the back room looking absolutely spiffy. "Finish up and get to your stations!" The store comes alive in a last minute burst of energy. Everyone finishes what they were working on and quickly makes their way to each section of the store. I'm in the back on the opposite side of where my mannequins are located.

We watch as the metal gate separating us from the customers is lifted out of sight. As soon as it goes up, a security guard unclips the velvet rope and the store is swarmed by a flood of young men, their girlfriends, and students. All you can see throughout the store is heads. Behind racks, around displays, in dressing rooms. Heads, heads, heads. Needless to say, it's a bit overwhelming.

A younger looking guy squeezes through the crowd and starts to look through a rack at my station. Alright, time to be a good salesperson! I make my way towards him just as he pulls a purple dress shirt from the rack. It's a pretty crazy design for a shirt. There is a zipper that runs diagonally down the front and the color is very vibrant. I'm not surprised it caught his attention.

"Excuse me, sir. Would you like to try that on?" I use the nicest voice possible. The teenager turns to me and looks me up and down. Yes, I do, in fact, work here. No need to seem so surprised.

"Uh, yeah. Ok." I take the hanger from him and lead him through the crowd to the back of the store. I find an empty changing room, surprisingly. You would think with all of these people around there would be a line for the fitting rooms. He goes in and I wait outside for him to come out.

I don't wait long before the door opens and he steps out wearing the purple shirt. It's so…. Bright! At least on him. Maybe because he is so fair. Personally, I don't think it looks too good on him. He stands and looks at himself in the mirror at all angles before he turns to me.

"I don't know. I wanted something different and I like the design, but does it really suit me?" Shit, I don't know what to tell him. If you like it, buy it. I'm just trying to make sales kid. Hey, that's it.

"I think it really suits you! The purple matches you well." I hope that sounded like I knew what I was talking about. Goodness knows it wasn't the truth. The teens eyes seem to light up before he looks back at the mirror.

"You're right. I'll take it!" Yes! My first sale!

He changes back into his own clothes and I ring him up at the register. At least I know how to use one of these. I hand his purchase to him in one of the store bags and give a deep bow. "Thank you very much!" I can't believe I actually sold something! I look around the store to make sure no one is looking in my direction before I do a small happy dance. Ok, back to work!

"Kon!" I pray that by some weird coincidence there happens to be another Chinese person in the store right now with the same surname as me. All of my hopes, and the rest of my life, shatter before my eyes when an icy hand grips my shoulder with a crushing force. Yeah, ow.

The same icy hand spins me around to meet an equally icy glare. Oh, hi Tala! You seem to be in a better mood than usual!

"What in God's name are you wearing?" His voice feels like a thousand tiny snowmen practicing acupuncture on my spine with needles fashioned out of dry ice. I can't stop the chill that runs through me.

"Um. C-clothes?" A valid answer.

"Hardly." He turns and starts to walk away, but then he turns back to me. "You are not allowed to talk to anymore customers until I get back. Clear?"

I don't know how to respond to that! This is my job. How do I just not talk to customers? Tala doesn't seem to appreciate my hesitation and he raises his eyebrows.

"I said, am I clear?" He takes a menacing step towards me, so it isn't long before I figure out how to respond.

"Yes sir!"

He turns on his heel again and disappears into the crowd. I stand there awkwardly looking around the room. I smile to a couple customers with whom I make eye contact but, fearing for my life, I don't say anything. After a minute I catch a glimpse of flame red hair before Tala is once again glaring down at me. He is holding a couple items I have seen around the store.

"Put this on. You _do_ know how to dress yourself, don't you?" I narrow my eyes at him and snatch the offered piece of clothing from him. It's a red and blue plaid blazer. I need to take my hoodie off then, but there are people around. And Tala! I can't just changed right here! His glare seems to intensify at my lack of understanding.

"On top of your hoodie." Wanting to avoid angering him further, I quickly pull the blazer over my hoodie. As soon as I get both arms through, Tala grabs hold of the fabric. He pulls my hoodie sleeves farther out from under the blazer and flips the hood over the back. Then he pulls the other piece of fabric out from under his arm. It's a purple beanie. I'm surprised my neck didn't snap from the force with which he shoved it onto my head. As I pull the beanie up from my eyes, I feel hands at my ankles.

"Tala what are you-"

"Shut-up." He shoves the ends of my pant legs into the tops of my boots. When he's satisfied, he stands to loom over me again.

"_Never_ show up on the sales floor in such a careless outfit again. It's disrespectful to the customers." With that, Tala turns on his heels and leaves the store. Well, good news is I don't stand out anymore. Bad news is I still need work. I look down at my new attire and let out a heavy breathe. A lot of work.

"Excuse me. Do you have this in the next size down?" Ah shit, speaking of work…

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"Man, I don't think I have ever work so hard in my life!" Tyson plops onto his ass on the floor and spreads out. It's kind of difficult to clean up the store when you're lying in the middle of it Tyson.

"Yeah, I don't think you have either, Tyson." Max laughs at his own joke while he re-folds the display he had folded yesterday. Somehow Tyson finds the energy to flip onto his stomach.

"Aww Maxie! That hurts my feelings!"

These two, I don't know what I would have done if they weren't here to keep me sane. They are crazy and sometimes a handful, but without them being here (and the gorgeous Kai) I would have given up long ago. Hell! I actually made a sale and helped out a lot more people! Well, after Tala changed my outfit, but I think it was my person-

"Hey kitten." Holy shrimp gravy on homemade biscuits! I do a turn midair and come face-to-face with death, er, Bryan. He's giving me that condescending sneer and I catch hints of amusement due to my reaction.

"What do you want?" Not as assertive as I had hoped. He takes a step closer forcing me to take one back. Come on Rei, gonads! Bryan's sneer mutates into a smirk and he pinches the bridge of my nose between his index and middle finger. Damn, that hurts!

"The boss wants to see you. Now." Telling by the amused and sadistic look on his face, I don't think Kai is granting me a promotion. Shit. I smack his hand away, surprisingly, without utter fear for my life. He doesn't seem to mind and spares me this one time.

I straighten my posture, if just to appear brave, and walk past Bryan. I catch him snicker but choose to ignore it. I don't look at anyone else as I exit the store. My attention is strictly focused on the elevator in front of me. What does Kai need me for? Maybe it's another meeting. But usually he notifies me in person. He has never sent anyone to fetch me before.

When the elevator door opens I step in quickly and turn to hit the button for the seven-God dammit Bryan! He scared the living shit out of me! Said asshole smirks again as he follows me into the elevator.

"You thought I would miss this?" I glare at him with everything I've got before I step to the side allowing the bastard room. He steps in and stands right behind me, you know, because this elevator is so pack. You have so much room asshole! Why do you have to loom over me? I'm surprised I didn't break the button for the seventh floor with how angrily I bashed it in. I wish I could bash Bryan's face in.

We reach the seventh floor and the doors slide open smoothly. Bryan steps out from behind me, probably to go ahead. Nope. He stops just to the side of the doors and gives a mock bow.

"After you." Damn you Bryan! He's getting off on this, I swear! I practically stomp out of the elevator, mostly because I wanted the force of my stomps to cause the elevator chords to snap and send the Russian asshole plummeting to his death. Yeah, it didn't work.

The rest of the trip through Silver Bullet and up the ivory staircase is uneventful. On the outside anyway. My heart is currently practicing for the next Olympics in the gymnastics division. It's only other opponent would be my stomach. The door to Kai's office is in sight. A miserable groan escapes my throat as I get to the top step. I could almost feel the intense pleasure Bryan is getting out of my discomfort.

I stand in front of the door and take a quick breathe. I've lived a good life. My hand goes to knock on the large door. However, before it even makes contact, Bryan reaches around me for the handle and pushes the door open.

"He's here." A forceful push to my back and I am now standing in front of the other occupants in the office. It feels like I'm awaiting interrogation. I have a short trip back to my youth when Lee and I were caught outside after curfew and had to face Lee's grandfather. I'm feeling rather vulnerable at the moment.

Kai is sitting at his desk, pen in hand. He only looks up when I make my less-than-graceful entrance. Tala continues working and taking absolutely no interest in what occurs outside of his life. Bryan makes his way around me and heads for the couches. He's mumbling something about needing a "good seat."

The sound of wheels against hard wood puts my attention back on Kai. He stands up out of his chair and walks around his desk. For a moment it seems like he's coming towards me. But then he changes direction and heads to Tala's desk. He places a folder in front of Tala and mumbles something in Russian. Tala nods but continues working without a pause. Finally, Kai turns to me and nods his head toward the couches.

"Have a seat Rei." I love how he says my name. Even when it sounds angry. Oh shit. Angry. And now he's looking at me confused. Sit, Rei, sit! I head around the largest couch and take a seat farthest from Bryan. His eyes follow my every move, enjoying each second of my uneasiness.

Kai comes to stand in my view and tosses a clear plastic bag onto the coffee table in front of me. Inside is something of a very unique purple color. Why does that look so familiar?

"Do you know what this is?" Can't say that I do. I shake my head while avoiding his eyes. Why does this color stand out to me so much?

From my peripheral, I can see Kai shift his weight while folding his arms. "A customer returned this item today. They said that they were convinced by an employee that it suited them, but when they tried it on at home that wasn't the case." Kai takes a couple steps around the table to stand closer to me. "He described you as being the employee who assisted him."

I was able to hide the gasp that almost got out, but I couldn't hide the surprise on my face as I look up at Kai. This purple, it's the shirt that I had sold to the teen just earlier today. The sale that I was so proud of…

"Never in the time I have spent in this business, opening stores, promoting lines, have I ever felt such embarrassment." He emphasizes this point by turning away from me. By now my hands have picked up a nervous fidget. "A customer returned an item. And on the day of our grand opening no less. This is a heavy blow to my reputation, Rei."

He walks toward his desk and takes a seat, placing his glasses on his face. Without looking up, he grabs a pen and starts going through the piles of documents spread out in front of him.

"Take it," he gives an abrupt nod towards the offending item in front of me, "The expense has been taken from your salary. May this be a lesson to you." And not another word.

I stand quickly and grab the shirt, the plastic making more noise than I wanted. Ignoring everything around me, I make my way around the couch and towards the door as fast as I can. It takes a lot of self-control to not breakout into a run. I don't want to be here anymore. Not a second longer.

I exit the office to the sound of shuffling papers and Bryan's snickers.

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It's cold tonight. Maybe colder than usual. Or maybe that's just me. I've lost all of the warmth that my happiness once gave me. Maybe that's because I lost my happiness, and nothing in this world could ever bring it back. I will remain cold forever.

No, I am _not_ being overdramatic.

I can still hear the plastic containing the shirt inside my bag where I had stuffed it. It rustles with every step that I take. It's mocking me, I know it is.

I am almost to the train station when I pass a convenience store. Maybe grabbing a snack will cheer me up. Great Rei, just great. Get fat off of your depression. That will solve everything.

Nevertheless, I find myself strolling the aisles looking for the most fattening chocolate covered…. Thing available. Here we go. I don't know what it is or if it is even safe to ingest, but it's covered in chocolate, resembles an overstuffed truffle and has 340 calories. Perfect.

I round another corner and come face to face with men. Hot men. On magazines to be exact.

I'm tired of clothes. I'm tired of fashion. What's in, what's out, who cares? I don't. I miss my life before all of this. I want to go back to Tokyu. I miss all of my old co-workers, selling food, the annoying customers. Hell, I even miss Sergeant Grumpy. Why did I agree to any of this?

Kai.

I don't know why, but I head for the magazine rack and look over the different titles. The articles displayed on the covers all say things like "Best Coordination" and "73 Must-Haves" or "Items that match anything!" My eyes wander further until I come across the Beyblading magazine. The advertising isn't that much different. "Best Launch" and "Must-know techniques!" are covering the front. It's kind of funny how similar the magazines make them sound.

…

Wait, is that it? Did I just get an idea? I think I did.

I grab three different men's fashion magazines and place those (along with my fatty fat cake) on the counter. The cashier looks at me strangely but I don't care. Am I working tomorrow? No, I only work Tuesday through Friday this week. I take my purchases and head for the train station. I need to take advantage of my day-off while it's here.

As I near the station I notice my head is being held slightly higher than usual and my step is brisker than before. My subconscious is being filled with something, a determination. A determination that I haven't felt in a long time.

Not since my beyblading days.

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_Next Chapter: Rei's big idea, and his partner in crime._

_reviews pretty please~ see you next week promise? :D_


	9. Milk Tea

_ahh early Saturdayyyy xP good morning~ waht? chapter 9 already? omg almost halfway! can you believe it? i can't xP my baby is growing up T^T _

_Thank you for the many happy birthday wishes~ that really made me happy^^_

_so tonight is my birthday party. i will accept your many reviews as presents, thank you kindly^^_

_to chapter 9! please enjoy~_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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As soon as I get my shoes off I slump to my room and come face-to-sheet with my bed. I let out a tired groan and allow the bags in my hand to slip onto the floor. Oh how I would just love to fall asleep right now. I could quite possibly just drift off and sleep in before my afternoon class tomorrow. Yeah, I think I'll do that. I move to grab hold of a pillow that had fallen off of the bed. However, my hand doesn't touch the soft cotton I was expecting. Instead I feel the crispness of the plastic bag I had just deposited on the floor. There it is again, that determination.

I slide off of my bed and sit on the floor. Can't sleep now anyway. I pull out the magazines and my heart molesting fat cake. I lay the magazines out side-by-side and stare them down. The titles of the magazines are all weird: Egg, Spider, and Non-no. Alright, how should I do this? Grabbing the first magazine (Men's Egg), I flip it open to a random spot.

I unwrap part of the cake and take a bite. Ok, when I wanted to perfect beyblading I would study each technique until I got it right. So, if fashion is like beyblading then clothes are like beyblades. That's a given. Then if I want to improve my beyblade, I need to upgrade the parts. Parts of a beyblade would be articles of clothing in this case. And the parts have to compliment each other. Then when the beyblade is enhanced, I need to learn how to use it. That's where strategies come in. And strategies in the fashion world would be styles.

I take another bite of my fat cake. Rei Kon I do believe you're starting to get this. Ok, so I know how to practice beyblading. How do I practice fashion?

I need paper.

Without getting off of my lazy ass, I lean to the side and pull open the lowest drawer of my desk. I fumble blindly for a minute before my hand finds what I need. Sitting back the way I was, I open up my old sketchbook from first semester drawing class. It's pretty much empty. I didn't like that class anyway.

I finish off my fat cake before opening up my school bag. Finding my pencil case I pull out my scissors and glue stick. Alright, let's see what I can do. Ripping out a page from the magazine, I start cutting out the different clothing items and accessories. This continues for a while, a long while. I'm not sure exactly how long it takes, but soon I'm surrounded by cut-outs of shirts, pants, everything! It looks pretty ridiculous right now and my hand is sore. I really butchered these magazines. I didn't get a paper cut though. That's always a good thing.

I start sorting through the piles of clippings. I separate everything into smaller stacks. Shirts over here, pants there, outerwear here… Now instead of being surrounded by unorganized mess, I'm surrounded by organized mess. At least I can find things now.

Opening my sketchbook, I grab a shirt and glue it to the page. Ok, so what goes with this? I flip to an article in one of the massacred magazines. Here we are: "match casual items with dressier items for a classy everyday look." …. okay. I think these pants look dressy.

I continue gluing together outfits and accessories to each page while following the tips given in the articles. By the time I run out of cut-outs, I'm yawning continuously. I now have an overstuffed sketchbook of reference and, I believe, a decent grasp of the fashionable world I have voluntarily been deprived of. I yawn again. Speaking of being deprived…

I need to do something with these pages. They need to be imprinted in my head everyday. If I leave them in the sketchbook, there is no telling whether I will actually look at them or not. But where will I see them everyday. My eyes scan the room quickly until they fall on my closet doors. That's it. I rip out each page that I have filled and grab the roll of tape from my desk. I'm not sure how long but after a while my closet doors are covered in my creations. Perfect. Each day when I go to get dressed I will be reminded of coordination and style and all of that.

While admiring my work I glance at the digital clock.

1:46am

Finally realizing my exhaustion, I let the roll of tape fall from my hand and go straight for my bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow I am thrown into a world of blurry dreams and pink dinosaurs stealing bowls of soup.

I have a big day tomorrow.

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"Why do we have to come here?"

"Because you need a new wardrobe."

"Well, yeah. I know that. But why _here_?" And why are you trying to disconnect my arm from my shoulder? I like it there.

No, unfortunately, I am not being dismembered by a psycho maniac. I am currently being dragged half against my will towards 109-2 by none other than Hilary. I say "half" because I was the one who called her to accompany me for shopping, but she's the one who wants to go to 109-2 of all places. Anybody know any psycho maniacs?

"Because this place has the best men's fashion anywhere." And you have the best death-grip anywhere. I'm sure that I will be sporting a decent bruise around my wrist. Looks like I'll need to explain to a few people that I am not the victim of spousal abuse.

I am able to break free from her grasp momentarily before entering the building. However, she is too quick and latches on again. I let out a long and loud groan. "Stop whining Rei." I groan again to spite her as she pulls me through the automatic doors. She continues to drag me across the main floor towards the directory. I could think of a few awkward things to shout out and embarrass her with, but she's doing me a favor. I'll save my comment about her being a female rapist who has a mall fetish.

"Ok." She stops abruptly forcing me to dodge her stationary back. "The closest store that has anything good is VXF on this floor. We'll pick up some t-shirts and jeans there. Then we'll head to the fourth floor, there are a few good stores there. We'll pick up…" Hold on. Is she really writing all of this down?

"Are you really writing all of this down?" That's what it looks like anyway. She has a pen and a notepad with whatever she just said written on it. I just answered my own question.

She sends me a look through her bangs that screams irritation before going back to her writing. She talks to herself for a while longer. Or she's talking to me. But I'm not listening so, by default, she's talking to herself.

"Alright! Let's go!" Once again she takes me by the wrist and drags me to a store a little ways away called VXF. It's mostly imported things from American brands. I find a few shirts and jeans that I like that look similar to the things I was pasting together last night. They have some funny shirts here too. It took a bit a persuasion to get Hilary to let me buy my favorite shirt there. She may not think that a shirt with "Energizer Bunny arrested, charged with battery" is funny, but I think it's fucking hilarious!

Next, Hilary drags me to the fourth floor. She tells me that there is absolutely no stores on the 2nd and 3rd floor for men. Less walking I guess.

"Ok, there are four stores on this floor we can look at." Nope, just as much walking.

Our time on this floor is spent purchasing some items from one store. Then we go to the next store, but we go back to the first store because they have something that looks nice with something at the second store. Then we head to the third store. We end up not buying anything because Hilary doesn't think they're worth their price. So we go to the fourth store because they have better pricing. But suddenly Hilary sees something that would match something else she saw. So we go back to the second store. After that run around we pick up some more things from the fourth and second stores. We end up once again in the third store because "they might have something" after all.

I'm tired.

"Hilaryyyyyyyyyy. Can we sit down for a bit?" I barely manage to lift my legs high enough to not trip over them as I trail behind her. How can she be so full of energy? She was walking more than I was! I was merely trying to keep up.

"We have one more stop." I answer this with an audible groan. She answers that with a glare.

"Stop whining Rei." She's been saying this all day. And I'm not whining.

"But I'm tirrrrrrrrrrrrred!" Okay, I'm whining. And I sound like Tyson. Note to self: don't act like this around Kai. Hilary shakes her head and slows her stride so I can catch up to her. She then takes hold of my hand (that is not holding millions of shopping bags) and doesn't crush it to pieces for once.

"When we get to our next stop, you can sit the _whole _time!" She ends this by patting the back of my hand.

My mood lightens at the idea of sitting. "Really?" Hilary answers with a nod.

"Really."

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Well, I am sitting.

"So what I was thinking was trimming off the dead ends but keeping the length. Then a few layers starting from the middle point. Also, how much would a dye job cost?" Dye job? I send Hilary a worried look through the mirror in front of me. She is currently talking to a fabulous looking hair stylist about the torture she wants to put my follicles through.

"Oh sweetie, it won't be too much. And since it's his first trip to a salon for, shall I say, _ever_," Prick. "I'll just give you a discount! How does that sound?" Sounds like you've been swallowing one to many pe-

"Perfect!" Hilary then heads back to me while the fruit of the loom gathers supplies. "So, Rei. What do you think of a milk tea blonde?"

I turn to her slowly while giving her my best impersonation of an angry Kai. "For _what_ exactly?" My glare doesn't seem to faze her as she just giggles off my question.

"For your hair of course!" I harden my glare and she notices. "Oh, don't give me that look. We're not going to do all of your hair. Just the underside." She then takes the end of my braid and begins to undo it.

"Wouldn't the color not show up then?" Hilary grabs a brush sitting next to her and begins to drag it through my hair.

"No, you braid your hair everyday, so the color will peek out through the braid. It will look cool and different."

I get a face full of ass when fruit loop bends over in front of me to go through different hair colors. Not pretty. "Oh sweetie! How about we do a combination of the milk tea blonde, " No. "and the peachy brown?" Hell no! Unfortunately, Hilary doesn't share my sentiments.

"That's a great idea! Rei, you are going to look amazing!" No! No! No!

Half an hour later, after washing, conditioning, snipping, and dying (in more ways than one), I'm sitting with my un-dyed black hair clipped to the top of my head. We're waiting for the dye to do it's job to the rest of my hair. Fruitcake basted it with two different dyes and wrapped it in foil to bake for 20 minutes. I feel like a turkey dinner.

"Alright sweetie! Let's take a look at that hair!" Oh, you remembered about me? I couldn't tell the way you were reading magazines and watching TV dramas like this acidic chemical wasn't burning away at my scalp.

I can feel fruit salad lift the edge of the foil to get a look at my hair. I can't see it from my position in front of the mirror, but I can see fruitie's face change from pleased to utter disbelief.

"Oh my!" What?

"Goodness!" What?

"This can't be!" What the hell did you do to my hair fruit tart?

Hilary hears the commotion from her seat in the waiting area and is at my side immediately. "What is it?"

Fruit of the loom is practically yanking the foil out of my hair. "I need to wash his hair once more to be sure!" And before I know it my head is being shoved back into the porcelain sink. He washes the dye out quickly and nearly hurls me back into my previous seat. I don't have any time to yell at the fruit bowl before he plugs in the hairdryer blocking out all outside noise.

Another 10 minutes of drying passes before he finally shuts the damn thing off. I was about to fall asleep.

"Oh no.." Not again.

"It's just as I feared!" God dammit just tell me!

Hilary is once again at my side. "What _is_ it?" I guess he is starting to wear on her nerves too.

Fruit loop holds his face in his hands for a moment before he raises them eccentrically to the ceiling. "I am just _too_ good!" Hilary visibly slumps.

"I have feared for so long that I was overqualified for this profession, and I have proven myself correct!" He removes the tarp from around my neck and pulls me into a standing position. He tears the clip from my head, along with some of my hair, and shoves me in front of a full-length mirror. "You are _welcome_ honey!"

I take in my appearance in the mirror. I don't look much different except for my hair looking smoother without all of the split ends. I run my hand through it to feel the texture. Yup, it's definitely smoother and softer, but I don't- whoa! Is that my hair? I pull out a bunch of the new colored strands from underneath the black. This is my hair! And it's blonde! And brown! And blonde! I can't say that it looks bad, it actually looks really cool. I just need to get used to it I guess.

"You like it, don't you?" I see Hilary come to stand behind me in the mirror. "It really suits you." I can't help but smile at this because I really do like it. In the mirror I see Hilary hold up a hair tie and wiggle it around a bit. I nod to her silent question and she sets out to braid my hair. This whole time, Fruit salad has been leaping (yes, _leaping_) around us like a purple unicorn at a rainbow sale.

"There. All done. Take a look!" I do as Hilary says and take hold of the braid to examine it. The blonde and brown peek out subtly through different parts of the braid.

I glance at Hilary and give her a smile. "I have to admit Hilary. You knew what you were talking about."

Hilary laughs and gives me a hearty pat on the back. "Oh Rei. I _always_ know what I'm talking about!" Yup, this is still the same girl I met years before.

Hilary offers to pay for the entire thing and I give fruitcake a moderate tip. If he jumps around any higher, he will be on the 5th floor. The only bad thing about leaving the salon is more walking. At least no one is fussing with my hair anymore. I follow after Hilary, occasionally looking over my hair again. I know it's not changing, but I just like the look of it. Suddenly, I get acquainted with a back.

Hilary stumbles forward a bit from the impact. She sends a small glare at me for my carelessness. I send her my best apologetic smile and her glare softens. Yup, no one can resist. "Rei, I want to check out this store."

I look up in the direction she is pointing in and see frills… and skirts… and pink! "Uh, Hilary. I don't think I can wear any of this." She answers with a smack to my arm.

"Not for you! I can go shopping too!" Her mood then does a 180 and she sends me a bright smile before taking my hand again. "Now let's go!"

Wait, what? I twist my wrist around to free it. "Uh, no offense Hilary, but I would rather not be seen in a store like… _that_." Surprisingly, she doesn't get mad. She just laughs off my reasoning.

"Ok, I'll give you a call when I'm done so we can meet up." She setting me free? Yes! We give our momentary goodbyes and she makes her way into the store where a sales associate greets her instantly. It's time for Rei Kon exploring-the-mall-on-his-own-time time.

As I start making my way to the store directory my stomach decides to remind me that I am human and need to, in fact, eat. I quickly scan the directory for the nearest place that sells food. Really? The only food seller is a café on the 2nd floor. Whatever, looks like I'm going there.

I head to the escalators, shifting the shopping bags evenly in each hand. My left hand is getting sore from all of the plastic digging into it. I get off of one escalator onto the 3rd floor and make a sharp left onto another escalator. Only one more floor and I can buy a plate of delicious… whatever they sell.

I lean onto the right side handrail even though they say not to. From the corner of my eye I can see a group of four kids playing noisily down below. They are causing quite a commotion and they seem to have made a game out of getting in other people's way. I need to make sure to avoid them upon arrival.

Unfortunately, the little brats seemed to have read my mind and charge straight for the escalator! What do they think they're doing? This is the down escalator! Those little brats are probably trying to see if they can run up the escalator and who can do so the fastest. Damn.

I do my best to merge myself with the railing I am leaning on, but again the rug rats have other plans for me. Apparently, when you are that small and that obnoxious, it affects your volume, mass, and depth perception. These lower life forms have come to the conclusion that this escalator is wide enough for all of them to get on at once. With some quick thinking, I start shimming down the side of the escalator. The lower I can get before those little shits get to me the better!

About 5 feet away form the ground is when I see my life flash before my eyes. The little idiots have made their way onto the escalator and push past me in a hurry. Trying to avoid collision, I sit onto the railing that I was previously molesting. However, the slowest idiot knocks me with his elbow and causes me to lose balance. I have no choice but to roll over the back of the railing and hopefully land on my feet.

Yup, on my feet. And yeah, ow. It wouldn't have hurt if I hadn't been walking around for a gazillion hours. Why does my hand feel lighter. I look to my left and see one less bag. Looking all around me I see that the bag, and its contents, are scattered on the floor. I guess the force of the fall caused the plastic handle to tear. I hate kids.

I get on all fours and start shoving my dropped items into another bag. I grab blindly for one of the helpless shirts to my left and pull, but it doesn't budge. And it doesn't exactly feel like a shirt. It's really soft though. Did Hilary pick this one out?

"It's nice to see you too, Rei." Strange, I'm not in church so why is there a choir singing. I quickly retract my hand and gaze at the god that just spoke to me.

"S-sorry about that Kai." He doesn't answer, just grabs the shirt his hand is on and gives it to me. He stands while I shove the rest of the purchases into my bag.

"I see you've been busy." When the floor is clear again I stand as well, but I make sure there is a good 3 feet of distance between us. "Uh, yeah. I figured with the new job and all…" The events that occurred just yesterday appear in my head and I force myself to not meet his eyes. Instead, I look at his outfit.

Dammit, even in casual clothing he looks like a model! He has abandoned his usual suit for a white sweater, black knit scarf, black pants, and white high tops. How is he not embarrassed to be seen with me?

"So, uh, what are you doing here." Well that sounded like a dumb question. "I-I mean, like, on the 2nd floor. Obviously, you work here so of course you would be here, but on the 7th floor and… yeah." Should have just stuck with the dumb question.

He pulls back the sleeve on his right wrist to look at his expensive watch. "I was going to grab lunch." As if on cue my stomach decided to tell Kai that it likes his idea. Cute. Very cute. Kai's eyes dart up to meet mine and to my delight (I think?) his mouth curves into an amused smirk. "I guess that means you will be joining me?"

YES! "Uh, if that's ok with you." I rub the back of my head, don't want to seem too eager. His only response is a slight nod before my turns and starts walking. Guess that's my cue to follow. We walk in silence for a bit until we reach the only café on this floor. My common sense tells me that this is the café I was originally heading to.

The place has a generally modern and clean feel. It's not ridiculously cluttered like Starbucks but it doesn't look empty. There are small tables located around the innermost part of the café. Most of the tables are only equipped to seating two people at one time. It's atmosphere is very intimate and…

…

…

…!

I'm eating here, with _Kai_!

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_Next Chapter: Rei has a moment with Kai and finally puts his skills to the test._

_Next week~ can't come soon enough~ and neither can your reviews xD~ thank you for reading~_


	10. Passion Fruit

_Saturday is here~ And i'm so sleepy~ haha don't stay up late watching ghost shows xP so anyway here's CHAPTER 10! THE HALF-WAY POINT! This is a get-stuff-out-of-the-way chapter lol I'm excited for next chapter, that's when the plot actually starts going again. Yeah, there's a plot, it got lost somewhere in the construction zone. But it has been rescued, yay~ ^^_

_also, i received a couple comments about Rei's hair and how it was difficult to imagine (i'm so sorry! I don't know how to describe it really T^T) so i will provide assistance(?)_

_**i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/jackroserei2. jpg **(remove spaces) this is Rei's model i re-colored, there is some blonde in the hair_

_**i1100. photobucket. com/albums/g402/ksuga/leemikki. jpg** better pic of her hair, it's not exact but it has the same kinda feel to it^^; sorry if i'm no help at all~_

_anyway please enjoy! and look forward to the next chapter~_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1 _**

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I follow Kai like a lost puppy into the café. I can't believe I'm actually eating here with Kai! Where is 'here' anyway? As we pass the entryway I look up to catch a glimpse of the name of this place.

Instant Orange?

What kind of cracked out name is that? Kai steps up to the counter and I stand behind looking at the menu. What should I get? The Java Jelly Juice Jump, or the Mango Marching Melon Masquerade- what the hell? This _is _food, right? Maybe I should just get whatever Kai manages to pronounce.

"Hello Mr. Hiwatari! The usual?" The teenage girl behind the counter greets him cheerfully. Too cheerfully. If she smiles any wider her face is going to split down the middle. I think she's had one too many Java Jelly Jewish Jalopies or whatever.

Kai nods politely. "Make that two." The cashier punches into the register a little and turns back to Kai. "You're all set! Your order will be right out Mr. Hiwatari!"

Wait… Kai didn't even pay! Kai gives her another nod and leaves the counter. I follow him around to another counter with a sign reading 'pick up.' I'm curious as to why Kai didn't pay, or why the cashier didn't ask him to pay, but I'm not sure that I should ask. I've learned a couple times before that sticking your nose where it doesn't belong gets you kicked in the face. Like this one time when I was just a wee lad back in my village, I walked in on one of the older boys, well, 'wrestling' with one of the girls. I got caught peeping so they kicked me around a bit. Then they told me not to tell anyone. They said something along the lines of…

"Rei, go find a table."

No, that wasn't it. Oh! That was Kai. Probably got annoyed of my far-off stare over his shoulder. Well, to finish my story, that was the first time I realized how attractive guys are. It wasn't the girl I was peeping on, that's for sure.

So back to the present, the idea of sitting appeals to my aching feet and I quickly find a table for two nearby. These tables are small. That means I'll be closer to Kai! I set down my bags to the right of my chair and wait patiently. Kai~ Kai~ He's coming to sit with me~ la dee dum!

To pass the time, I lean over and lazily look through one of the bags I have been carrying. As I come across each item I am reminded of the ordeals Hilary and myself went through to pick the best clothing. It brings a smile to my face. We had to deal with some crazy people today, and some people had to deal with Hilary. Like the guy from the third store on the 4th floor. Hilary had me try on everything and the poor sales-associate was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. We walked out of that store without buying a single thing. I swear that guy was about to cry! I can't help but to chuckle at the memory.

"You seem happy." Kai has arrived! And he brought food! He's carrying a small tray with two drinks, two chicken pitas and cakes. This is Kai's usual? I never pictured him as one for sweets. I was expecting something along the lines of black coffee from the Undablahblah tribe in Oceana and an imported Turkish roll sprinkled with gold. What? He could afford it.

"Uh, I was just thinking of something funny." He places one of the cups and the food in front of me. Looking at the items my curiosity gets the better of me.

"Say Kai. Are these actually paid for?" I immediately regret asking as he eyes me while sipping from his drink. I may have offended him with this statement. No Kai, I don't think you're a thief! Then, to my relief, he sets down his cup breaking the eye contact. In Kai's world, breaking eye contact means that he's not going to tear out your spine and strangle you with it. Lucky me.

"It's on my tab. I'll pay it at the end of the month." He then picks up half of his pita and takes a bite. I take a sip of the drink. It tastes good, and sweet! Kai really does like sweet things. Someone's getting chocolate for Valentine's Day.

"What drink is this?" Kai hesitates. He glares at his cup before answering.

"Passion fruit." I'm guessing that hesitation was him running through the long, ridiculous name in his head before settling on not saying it at all. I bet it's Passion Prancing Fruit Fart or something along those lines.

We finish our pitas and cakes quickly and sit silently while drinking. Half-way through my cup Kai places his own back on the table and straightens his posture. "Let me see what you bought."

I'm taken aback by his sudden request and stare for a second. But not wanting to seem like an idiot (too late) I reach down and grab a random bag. The name on the bag says OF THE NEIGE-STYLE. When did Hilary drag me to this store? You would think I could remember a weird name like that. Whatever. I slide it over the table for Kai to take.

He reaches into it blindly and pulls out a long-sleeved shirt with red and blue stars printed all over it. He looks it over quickly before folding it and placing it back in the bag. Telling by the way he didn't criticize it, and by 'criticize' I mean 'say anything at all', I'm guessing he approves. He pulls out a long black scarf made of thick wool. Again he approves, I think. The only other item in the bag is a pair of black skinny pants with studs on the knees. While looking over this piece, he gives a slight nod.

"You didn't shop blindly." I've been told I have 20/20 vision. He hands the bag back to me. I take it and reunite it with its comrades on the floor.

"Y-yeah." Dammit, stop stuttering! "I did some research."

Kai nods and picks up his drink again. I also continue drinking while looking at Kai, my favorite pastime. He's sitting back with his right leg resting on the other, one arm folded under the one holding his drink as he watches the people shopping. His posture and his outfit make him look so sophisticated. It's no wonder people respect him even if they don't know him. Oops, I've been staring too long. If he says anything I'll say that I was admiring his outfit. It's partially true anyway. Still, I turn back to my drink in hand.

"Tala told me about your outfit choice yesterday." I feel the liquid slide down the wrong tube and sputter as realization hits me. Shit, I should have known that bastard would talk!

When my coughs subside I look up at Kai bashfully. "Uh, yeah. I won't make that mistake again." My hand comes up to rub the back of my head. "I can't believe he was mad enough to tell you though." That tattletale.

Kai downs the rest of his drink then plays with the cup lazily. "He has a bit of a big mouth, but he wasn't very angry at the time." He sets the cup down and eyes a family that has entered the store. "Once he reached the 7th floor he had calmed down to just shouting."

Was that a joke? I could feel my mouth pull into a smile. In all my years of being on the same team as Kai, sharing hotel rooms with Kai, and now working with Kai, that was the closest he has ever come to making a joke. Kai, being funny! I think I feel tears coming.

I go to finish the rest of my drink, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere between Kai and myself. However, it doesn't last long when my cell phone goes off effectively killing the mood. Kai takes no mind to the distraction and continues to watch the people outside of the shop. I pull out my phone from my pocket and check the i.d. It's Hilary. I had forgotten about her. I answer quickly as to not make her wait and, in turn, angry.

"Hey Hilary." From my peripheral I can see crimson turn to look at me before returning to the people outside.

"_Rei! I got the cutest stuff! Sorry it took so long. I went to several different places. Where are you?"_

"I'm at…" I turn my cup around to find the name of the place, "Instant Orange on the 2nd floor." On the other end I can hear some woman offering Hilary a sample of something, which she gladly takes. "_Alright, I'll come meet you and I'll tell you the plan from there. Wait for me!"_ And she hangs up. Goodbye to you too.

"You came here with Hilary." I don't think Kai ever asks questions.

"Yeah, she wanted to help find clothes for me." I return my phone to my pocket and finish the rest of my drink. Although I'm not paying attention, I don't miss the way Kai's eyes narrow in a calculating manner before he speaks.

"I see." What was that look? Suddenly, Kai turns to his expensive watch again as if he just remembered something. "It's about time I head back."

No, don't go! "Oh, ok." That's it Rei, put up a fight. Kai moves to stand but then hesitates before sitting back down.

"Remember this Rei," Something about the seriousness of his tone causes me to move closer subconsciously. I have a feeling I don't want to miss this. "We don't make sales for money. We make sales for loyalty. Understand?"

…. Sure.

I understood that as much as I understood Grandpa G. But, I don't want him to know that so I nod like I understood.

Satisfied, Kai finally does stand. "Tomorrow then." Tomorrow? What's tomorrow? Kai and I are…. Working! I'm working tomorrow! "Yeah, tomorrow." And with that he starts making his way to the door. Shoot, I didn't thank him for the drink or even…

"Wait, Kai!" He stops and looks over his shoulder back at me. "I didn't pay you for the meal."

He looks at me for a few more seconds before he smiles. Wait. _Smiles_! He's smiling at me! It's small, but it's definitely a smile! I think I'm going to faint. Such beauty exists?

"Don't worry about it." And then he finally does leave. I watch him until he is out of the café and out of sight. He smiled at me! I place my cold hands to my burning face to try and cool it down. He smiled at _me_! I let out a silent girlie squeal. Ok, calm down. He _smiled_ at _me_! I let out another squeal while doing a dance in my chair quickly. I don't think I can take much more of this.

"What are you doing?" My eyes snap open. I'm caught. I slowly look up to greet my companion.

"Hey Hilary."

She doesn't answer. She simply walks around and takes the seat previously occupied by Kai. I give her a friendly smile. She narrows her eyes at me before looking away casually. "I passed Kai on my way down here."

My ears perk up at the mention of my love's name. "Oh really?" Hilary's eyes narrow again. She seems so scrutinizing. But why?

"Yes. I asked him what he was doing and he told me he just finished his break." She then meets my eyes sternly. "Here."

Oh, I feel like I'm in deep shit, but I don't know why. Ok, no big deal. Just play it off. "Uh, yeah. We ran into each other and decided to eat together." I finish with an innocent smile. After all, I didn't do anything wrong…. Right?

Hilary's eyes narrow further and she leans over the table getting in my face. "So, is that why you were sitting by yourself squealing like a lovesick schoolgirl when I got here?"

Oh. So that's what she was getting at. Damn.

Don't back down Rei! Think of an excuse, something else to squeal at. "Uh…" Always on top of things, this one.

Ok, now I'm not quite sure what is happening. Hilary hasn't moved, but her eyes have softened. A lot! She's practically on the verge of tears! Maybe I should ask if she's ok? Before the words leave my lips, however, she leaps further over the table and grabs me around the shoulders.

"Oh Rei! Why didn't you tell me?" This was not the reaction I was expecting. "I had always suspected you had feelings for Kai!" Could she be any louder?

"Hilary, keep it down." My eyes are darting around the café to see if anyone has overheard. Nope, too busy drinking their Mango Tango Gang Bangs. Suddenly, she grabs me on either side of my face and pushes my cheeks in forcing my lips to jut out.

"Have I not been a good enough friend to you?" What? "I would have liked to think that you could trust me enough to tell me something like this!" By now she is really crying, and mashing my face like potatoes.

"Hirawy, Um dawwy. Pwease don cwai." I guess I said the magic word because her tears stop instantly. She drops my face and composes herself.

"Damn right you're sorry." She dabs at her face with a napkin. While I massage my aching cheek muscles, she pulls out a mirror and checks her face. When she is satisfied with her complexion she puts away the mirror and looks back to me, no longer upset. Although, I'm not sure how I feel about that sly grin she has on. "Now I know where the sudden eagerness to improve came from."

My eyes shift from Hilary to different objects in the café. For some reason I'm finding it difficult to make eye contact. "So, you're not freaked out that I'm… you know." The end of my braid has become very interesting, I'll play with that. A soft hand on mine, however, brings my attention back up to Hilary. Her comforting smile and understanding touch are all the reassurance I need and I return the smile. Yeah, I'm happy I have her.

"Now then," she stands and gathers her bags she had placed around her. This process takes a while. "Let's get your wardrobe put away and figure out how you're going to win over Kai!"

I can't describe how I'm feeling now. I feel great, even when Hilary latches onto my arm with her death grip. Even when I know she is going to leave marks that won't fade for a while. And even after she tells me she wants to play with my hair, my smile just keeps coming back. Knowing that there is someone who knows my secret and is willing to help and support me. It's a relief!

"Hey Rei." Hilary pulls me out of my inner interpretation. "What is it Hil?"

She plays with my hand for a bit before continuing. "Did Kai happen to say anything about your hair?"

…

Dammit!

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It's still pretty busy around the store even though it's been open for three days already. It's a lot busier in my corner too. Well, compared to the opening day. I'm having to answer questions and help people left and right. So far I haven't made a sale, but that is mostly because I'm scared of making another mistake. Yeah, I know I said I would face this challenge but one step at a time. Baby steps.

A customer asks for a shirt in the next size up so I head to the back to fetch it. I'm going to have to grab a few to restock that rack. If that customer asks for help with whether he should buy it or not I'll just do what I've been doing all day: send him to a co-worker! Yeah, it's pathetic. But it's working. And no one has noticed yet. I grab several shirts in the medium and a few in large and head back out to the sales floor. I have to bob and weave through the crowd occasionally. Reaching my corner I see the customer is still there waiting patiently. I hand him a medium and set about stocking the rack again.

"Excuse me." Oh, he's still here. "Do you think this would suit me? Or is there something else I should try?" Damn. Alright no biggy, just smile and quickly pull someone over to take him away. Now lets see who's free. Max? No,, he's helping someone. Tyson? Lunch break.. Again. Ken? He's always busy. That guy? No. Him? No. Damn everyone is busy!

Ok, don't panic. Maybe this is my time to put my, um, skills(?) to the test. Let's see, the first thing to do is look at the person. Hmm, he's got an average build, slight tan, and his hair is dyed orange-ish blond. This might be a bit difficult. What would I do in a beybattle if I wanted to figure out my opponent? Buy some time!

"Well why don't we see how that shirt looks on you and go from there?" Perfect! The customer agrees immediately and I get him into a dressing room. A minute later we're standing side-by-side in front of the full-length mirror. The shirt is cool: a black hoodie with three zigzagging zippers (say that five times fast) and a zipper around the hood. But it's simple and this guy seems kind of flashy.

He looks at himself front and back before looking at me through the mirror. "I like it, but it's really basic. It seems like anyone can wear it. I want it to be just for me, you know?" This guy sounds like Hilary. Alright, so he's a flashy guy. What would a flashy guy wear? I do a 360 looking around the store from where I'm standing. What catches my eye?

When did we get that?

The flashiest thing that catches my eye is a gold and black striped fur vest. Would it work? The zippers on the hood are gold so it should match. Let's see if he likes it. "Give me one second, sir. I think I know what you need." No I don't, this is a total guess. Nevertheless, I make my way across the store and thumb through the sizes on the vests. I grab the first medium and dodge a young couple browsing before standing next to the customer again.

"This vest is very unique, maybe it's your style." He looks at the vest skeptically before taking it in his hands. "I've never been one for fur," Shit. "but I'll trust your judgment." Double shit. I keep my fake smile plastered to my face while he slips on the vest. Alright, if he doesn't like it and it doesn't suit him, don't lie! Remember what Hottie McHotpants said.

"Wow!" Good wow? "I didn't think it would look this good!" Yay? Yay! "What do you think?" No yay! Don't ask me! That's stylistic suicide!

"Personally, I think it really suits you. It's a very individual look and you pull it off well." Ok let's see. I don't feel guilty, so that must mean that I told the truth! The customer seems pleased, so my honest opinion worked out! Improvements are just falling into my lap recently. I hope it's not a one-time deal.

"That's exactly what I was thinking! I'll take them both. And can you help me find a pair of pants to match?" Did I just make another sale?

I find a pair of dark denim jeans torn all the way down the front. The guy loves them. I think they're overpriced hand-me-downs. Seriously, I'm pretty sure I have a pair similar to these hanging in the back of my closet somewhere from when I was still in high school.

I wonder how they thought to sell these. Ok, here are your jeans. Oh, you want a hole? That will be $40.

Anyway, I ring up the purchase and hand him the bagged items. I give him a low bow as is procedure for working here. "Thank you very much."

"No, thank _you_! I'll be sure to come back here all the time."

"_We don't make sales for money. We make sales for loyalty."_

This is what Kai meant. A wide grin breaks my face and I automatically bend into an even deeper bow. "Thank you so much!" I'm so happy I could cry. Well, not really. As I come back up the customer gives me a less enthusiastic but equally sincere smile and heads for the entrance. I'll be sure to remember him when he returns.

I head back to my station where I am approached by another young man. He looks to be in high school and he wants my opinion about a very vivid red sweater. Unlike before, I have no intention of sending him to someone else. I got this!

"Actually, because the color is so bright and you have light skin it may flush you out." It's true. When he holds it up to himself all I can see is the kool-aid guy. I find another sweater that is a charcoal color. It has off-white wonky patterns on the shoulders and the ends of the sleeves. It's simple but it looks okay on it's own.

But before I can say anything to the kid I feel a hand on my shoulder. A voice in my ear tells me exactly who it is. "Not that one." Kai's other hand comes around and takes the hanger from me.

"It's too expensive. He's only in high school so he won't be able to spend much." The hanger disappears behind me and he hands me another one. It's a double layered shirt, black on top and white underneath.

I take the kid to a dressing room and he comes out wearing the shirt. It's baggy but it flatters him. Kai comes to stand next to me and also gives the kid a once-over. Why doesn't he do that to me?

"It's simple so accessories will help." Those cool crimson eyes turn to me. "Rei, would you pick some out?" What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my ear-gasm. Focus! I head to a small display table and start grabbing items. This is difficult I have to mind the style and price! Ok, this one is cheap and this one is on sale. Works for me.

I head back to the teen and place a necklace around his neck. It has three stars on the end that are red, blue and yellow. I finish with a black beanie and step back. A bit more of checking himself out and the kid loves it. Thank god! If he would have said he hated what I chose in front of Kai I would have lost my nerve.

He pays for the purchases and as I thank him with a bow Kai also bows next to me. Well isn't that a humbling sight. We both watch the customer leave the store and as soon as he does I turn to look at Kai. "I didn't expect to see you down here."

He shrugs and checks his watch. "After the past incident I thought I should check on you." I cross my arms in a mock offended manner and glare.

"So you don't trust me." Kai turns to meet my glare at about a head taller. His signature smirk is in place. "On the contrary. I wanted to see how much you have improved." Liar.

I send him a smirk of my own and step past him toward my station. "Well, if you'll excuse me, boss, I need to get back to work." I manage five steps without him responding. What, no retort?

"It looks nice by the way. Your hair."

Yup, I knew six steps was a stretch. I look at him over my shoulder to make sure I just didn't imagine him saying that. Sure enough, he's looking at me with that confident smirk. My face heats up faster than a skillet in the middle of August on the equator. That sexy smirk increases and he nods toward my station.

"Back to work Kon."

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_Next Chapter: Rei's new job and his reunion with an unwanted person._

_Review please! let me know what you think^^ see you again hopefully~_


	11. Vanilla Milkshake

_Happy Saturday^^ again, another long and stressful week of exams, homework, ups and downs. My reward is today~ my cousin is in town so i may go see her today too :] it's gonna be a good day! I hope everyone else has a good day too^^_

_so chapter 11 is here! This is when the plot starts to kick up again xD and there is a couple surprises today and next week~ i hope you look forward to them! Enjoy~_

_**Disclaimer: Chapter 1**_

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"… and the guy didn't see it coming, right? So the other dude grabs the gun and holds it sideways all gangsta-like…"

Let me take you away from the ranting that is Tyson for a moment. I have some more important matters to discuss, like my life for the past month. Everything has been going great. I'm excelling at the university (much to my professors' disappointment) and working at the store has become second nature. Surprising right? Just 2 months prior I had no idea that shoelaces came in different colors. I suppose I owe this to my co-workers and friends assisting me. Besides the Russian Duo of Doom, work is great.

My sense of fashion has made a huge turn around. I now take an extra half-hour to decide what I am going to wear for the day. I also take an extra 3 hours to do my laundry. But it's for the best. I can't believe I would actually walk out into public wearing what I used to wear. I am never going to be seen dressed the way I was ever again! It's not hard when my closet is full of my new wardrobe. And my old wardrobe is completely gone. I mean it. It's not even donated or thrown out. It's really _gone_. Hilary took it upon herself to burn it all. My neighbors were a bit, well, frightened. I wish I had gotten a picture of Mr. Kanagawa's face.

Since we are all working together now, Max, Tyson and I have become as close as we were back in our beyblading days. It's nice. And since our job pays well we have excess to spend on slobbing around together. Which explains why we are currently listening to the synopsis of a movie as told by Tyson while seated inside this restaurant called 'Mechanically Separated Chicken.' Tyson's pick. Needless to say I didn't order the chicken.

"Wow Tyson. That sounds like a crazy movie. I'll have to see it sometime." You're humoring him, right Max?

"Yeah you both have to!" Why? You told us the whole story already. "Aw man! Too bad Kai isn't here. Now I have to tell him the whole thing from the beginning!" Did Kai do something bad to you to deserve that?

Oh yeah, maybe I should give an update about Kai. Our relationship has upgraded from "I let people know you are my friend" to "People know you are my friend." Yeah, not much has changed. It's utterly platonic! And not the consistent platonic either. It's like when it's going great for a while, I do something stupid and have to work my way back up to that damn plateau again. Figuring out Kai is like trying to solve a game of hangman but no one is there to tell you if you've picked the right letters. Try it sometime, you'll understand.

A waitress comes by with a large tray and places our food in front of us. Tyson digs right in while Max and I thank her politely. She doesn't seem to notice though. All of her attention is on Tyson, and not because of this table manners, or lack there of. Hard to believe that a female of the same species could find Tyson attractive, but it does happen. More so now since he improved his general appearance. I would even say that he looks attractive on a completely hetero level. When the waitress finally leaves Max turns to me. "So Rei, has Kai told you anything about that Men's Egg Promotion."

I pause in cutting my sandwich in half. "Promotion?" Max tilts his head the way puppies do when you fart. Cute right? Tyson's breathing is starting to sound a little funny, so I slide the water pitcher over to him. He takes it gladly.

"So you don't know? That's surprising. I would have thought Kai told you everything." How I wish that were true. Max reaches over to Tyson's plate and removes a chicken bone before Tyson shovels another load into his mouth.

Being reminded of my platonic relationship with Kai has brought my mood down a notch. I rest my head on my hand and play with a french-fry. "Yeah, after all this time he's still an enigma." Max giggles and nods in agreement.

I grab Tyson's neglected napkin and grab his collar to pull him closer. While I wipe the remnants of food from his face I continue the previous topic. "So, what's up with this promotion?"

Max looks thoughtful for a minute as he eats his yakisoba drenched in mayonnaise. "I'm not sure but Aloysha came by to talk to Ken and said that Silver Bullet is doing some sort of promotion with Men's Egg."

As I return Tyson's napkin to it's previous position, I run that name through my brain. Men's Egg Promotion. Why does that ring a bell. Men's Egg is the name of that fashion magazine I look at sometimes. Men's Egg Promotion… MEP. Oh yeah! "That was one of the files that Kai brought on the day I went with him to his meetings." Max's face lights up at the information. "Uh, too bad I didn't actually look at the file." Max can't help but to laugh and I join him.

The sudden clatter of silverware startles us and we look at Tyson who is thumping on his chest frantically. Max reaches around and gives a hard smack to his back. Tyson sputters and swallows before continuing his meal. We might have to remind him later that Max saved his life. Being used to this routine, Max finishes his last bite without worrying. "I'm sure Kai will tell us more about it if we need to know. We're just curious." He wipes his mouth and turns to his vanilla milkshake.

It's taking me a while to finish eating. I guess I'm not that hungry. I wonder why. Oh look, scraps of food coming from Tyson's open mouth. That might have something to do with it. I push my plate of food away and decide I'll stick with my iced tea. From the corner of my eye I can see Tyson rub his satisfied stomach. Then he turns to me, or rather, my food.

"Hey Rei, are you going to finish that?"

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I greet the couple of co-workers I see as I walk into JACKROSE for my usual shift. I head straight to my section and start tidying up whatever was left the night before. I need to have a talk with whoever else works my station when I'm not here. It's not that they don't tidy up, but I find some strange things when I come in for my shift. I'm pretty sure we don't sell leopard briefs. That was an interesting shift.

"Rei," I look up to see Ken. "I have new orders from upstairs. I'm taking your position today and you are to go see Kai in his office." The shirt I was folding slips from my hands. This is different. "O-oh, ok. Then good luck today, Ken." He laughs at my surprise. As we walk past each other I receive a "go get 'em tiger" and a slap to my ass. I pretty sure he doesn't know about my infatuation with Kai nor of my homosexuality. Ken's a strange one.

I think I could walk the route up to Kai's office blindfolded since I've been up here so many times. Well, maybe not when I reach the stairs, that might hurt. I reach the office door quickly and give a decent knock. There is a short pause before Tala's voice tells me to come in. I enter and head straight for Kai's desk completely ignoring the other two Russians. Well, maybe not completely ignoring them. Who can ignore Bryan's intense staring at the Russian redhead? I swear there is something going on between them but I'm not sure what.

"Good morning Kai." I offer him my best smile. He doesn't seem to care. No surprise.

"Morning. I have a new job for you today." He taps a handful of papers on his desk to straighten them out. He stands and places them in a folder and places that in a bin off to the side of his desk. "If you do well I may consider you to keep the position." Mmmm Kai and positions…

He motions for me to have a seat on the couch. He is about to join me when his blackberry rings. He checks the caller before turning to me. "One second." As he heads back to his desk and answers the call I feel the seat on my right sink. Sure enough Russian bastard number 2 has joined me on the couch. "Looks like your ass kissing has paid off kitty cat." While he makes his snide remark I feel the seat on my other side also being occupied. Russian bastard number 1.

"Don't be so mean Bryan." Tala idly looks over his nails. "I'm sure Rei is aware that he possesses a lack of understanding and incessant need to brownnose." Thanks Tala. When my apartment is on fire, remind me to never call him. He would probably show up with binoculars and a gallon of kerosene.

Bryan looks like he has something to add but stops as all of our attention falls on Kai. He is standing in front of us and eyeing the Russian duo. "Up."

Tala doesn't take too kindly to this and I can feel, not see but _feel_, him glare. My whole left side goes rigid. "Ya ne sobaka."

Kai returns the glare tenfold. "No. More like a child." At this comment Bryan scoffs and heads back over to Tala's desk. The previous Russian glares at Kai a bit more before he too heads back to his desk. And Kai calls them friends?

"Rei, much like before we will be having a few meetings today." Right into business, huh love-muffin? Kai takes a seat in the armchair to my left. I use the excuse that I am thoroughly interested to scoot to the end of the couch closest to him. "However, they will be held here in the office. These will be some of the same clients you have met before." Cool, so i get to meet Mikimoto again and- Shit, does that mean the creepy guy is coming here too? Kai looks at me knowingly before continuing. "Yes, Belanov is also coming today…"

"Bastard!" That was Tala.

"…but you will most likely not be in the room while he is here." Most likely? Can I get that in writing? "This is what is going to happen. When a client arrives they will be bringing pieces of their line. You're job is to go to the stores I tell you to and pick up what I ask for. Not difficult." Really now? You're just sitting around your office while I run around a seven story building picking up I don't even know what. Whatever Rei. It's just another challenge. You can do it!

"The first client should be here soon. What you're wearing looks nice, so you don't have to change." He walks back to his desk saying something about not having enough time for changing. He pulls on a blazer that was sitting on the back of his chair and walks to Tala's desk. Without looking, Tala holds out a folder which Kai takes. Not one word was said between the two. The chemistry between them is creepy. I'm jealous. I want creepy chemistry with Kai.

Before Kai reaches his desk again he pauses to glance at me. "Stand." I do so without hesitation. Bryan snorts from Tala's desk. "Wait over there." He nods to the side of the couches. "That's where you'll be standing for the remainder of the day." Yippee.

I do as I'm told and Tala moves to stand in front of the doors. Bryan moves to stand directly by the doors. I guess he's doorman. Makes sense. Who wants to talk to him? Though I'm not sure if he is the first person the clients want to see upon arrival.

While I run through what I am supposed to do and the rules Kai gave to me during the first bunch of meetings, a sudden chill runs through me. Someone is looking at me, but Bryan is looking over his clothes and Tala is looking at Bryan (again, something's up with those two), so that leaves Kai... Is he?

I turn my gaze to where Kai is. He's leaning on the back of the couch casually. He's facing my direction and I can see his eyes observing me, or actually my body. I'm glad I wore skinny jeans today. I wonder what he's thinking. He notices me noticing him and he meets my gaze. I don't feel the need to look away because he started it, but he doesn't seem to want to look away either. He's not giving me a hard look, or a challenging one, he's just looking. What is he thinking? Why yes Kai! Of course you can throw me on the couch and do from now until the new year!

That thought quickly vanishes when I realize that Kai is no longer in front of me. And worst of all, no longer checking me out! Voices to my right tell me that the first client has arrived. I recognize him as the plump and happy Japanese accessory designer Mikimoto. He has brought along the associate that sat next to me during the last meeting. The guy recognizes me and gives a polite smile and bow which I return. Nice guy.

"Ah the young assistant! Good to see Kai hasn't scared you off yet!" That's reassuring. He gives me a strong hug before Kai leads them both to the couches. It may be due to Mikimoto's girth and jolly demeanor, but I'm getting this urge to sit on his lap and tell him what I want for Christmas. Short list. All I want is Kai.

Once they are seated at the couches Mikimoto's assistant pulls out a few black velvet boxes and lines them up on the coffee table. Those must be some of the accessories that Mikimoto designed. I stand to the side of the couches closest to Kai ready to run and pick up whatever he needs. Mikimoto starts to open some boxes and lays them out on the coffee table.

"This new line is specifically silver items. Some of them are accented with black diamond…" I can't help but to look at the necklaces and rings he has brought in. They look amazing, and expensive. I wonder if Mikimoto will give us freebies.

Kai draws my attention away from the accessories as he stands next to me and leans in close. "Go down to RHYDEAL and grab the new bay knit tee and pop knit tee. Then go to JACKROSE and get the Gau Qu sweater with the two types of hats that just arrived. Three minutes." Shit! I hurry out of the office without actually running. I don't want to draw attention to myself. Once I hear the office door close behind me I breakout into a sprint.

Ok I need the bay knit and the pop knit from RHYDEAL… or was it the Gau Qu knit? What is Gau Qu anyway? The elevators are too slow so I need to take the stairs. Legs I apologize in advance.

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I need to catch my breathe before I get back in there. I'm hunched over in front of the office door with 1 minute to spare. Thank god the employees at the stores knew about this procedure. They found what I needed for me quickly. I just have to remember what Kai asked for. And then i need to make sure I don't pull a muscle on the stairs. You know, prioritize.

Alright, breathing is pretty much normal. I head back into the office carrying everything Kai asked for. I even folded them and stacked them nicely for presentation. How great am I? Kai looks up when I near the couches and gives me a pleased smirk. He then looks back at Mikimoto and motions to three mannequins that weren't there when I left. "Now let's see how we can collaborate our products."

Tala comes up on my right and takes the items from my hands. He's not a jerk while doing this, but he isn't exactly a girl scout about it either. The four (Santa, hottie, Russian bastard 1, and the associate) head to the mannequins with the products and begin arranging them and re-arranging them. They make comments about how the accessories draw attention to a certain part of the clothing and vice versa. I'm proud to say that I know what they are talking about.

Once they are satisfied Tala takes notes on how the clothing and accessories are going to be coordinated. Mikimoto's associate packs away the items again and Kai promises to send information for the future collaboration. As Mikimoto and the associate leave everyone in the office (including asshole Bryan) bows them out. Then everything goes back to the way it was before.

Kai sends me another smirk before going back to his desk.

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I rush back up to Kai's office holding another bunch of miscellaneous items. I'm cutting it kind of close this time so no room for breathers. This is the last client of the day and much like last time, it's Creepy. Tala took his leave about 20 minutes before Creepy's arrival. Kai says it's because Tala is uncomfortable around the guy, but I know Tala. Tala doesn't get 'uncomfortable'. He probably tried to stab Creepy at a prior meeting and Kai has ordered him to leave. Bryan has also left with Tala, probably for the same reason I theorized.

I ignore Creepy for the second time today and hand the items directly to Kai. Instead of placing the items on the mannequins, Kai settles for organizing them on the coffee table. The way he handles Creepy is different from the way he handles any of the other clients. He is more direct, bold, and assertive. The perverted old fart needs it.

While they go through the items Kai's blackberry rings and he excuses himself to answer it. All seems to be going well-

"What? They're early. No, he has already left. Keep them occupied." He ends the call and turns to Creepy. Something is wrong? He says something in Russian that Creepy waves off without a care. Kai bows his head quickly and then… HEADS FOR THE DOOR!

"Wait, Kai!" _Slam_! Yup, that was the door. F… udge. I turn my head slowly to glance at Creepy. He's still sitting the way he was before, facing away from me. Hopefully he stays that way. It's just me and him. Maybe if I stay out of his line of sight he won't do anything. Just in case I should count the steps it takes to get to the door. It's about 12 ft away so if I take 2 ft for each step-

"Why so far away?" When the hell did he get so close? I snap my head around and get the perfect (or not) view of Creepy's face. He needs to do something about those pores. I think I could pitch a baseball through a couple of them.

"I'm getting lonely on that big couch by myself." That sounds like a personal problem. Remove that arm! His slinky arm has forced it's way around my waist. "Won't you join me?"

Hell no! "No." A little more 'umph' would have been nice Kon. Somehow I find the resolve to push him away. "I-I don't think this is very professional Mr. Belanov." That's it, stare him down without looking like an asshole. This is how you handle business.

He lowers his arms and makes no further attempts to advance. Just to be safe, I move to walk around him and get out of his line of sight again. I settle for heading to Kai's desk. If anything I'll use it as a fort. I don't get very far, however, before a hand latches onto my right wrist and pulls me back. My back gets well acquainted with the wall. This isn't the best pick-up line out there. I go to sock the guy across the face and it's then that I notice he has both of my hands locked in his.

"You know what fires me up Rei?" Ew, he said my name. "When people tell me no." He forces both of my hands into one of his. I guess I'm vulnerable right now because I'm trying not to vomit from the feeling of his gut on me. "You know what fires me up even more?" The screams of the innocent? He uses his now free hand to hold onto my chin. "When pets like you call me Mr. Belanov" His tongue sneaks out to wet his lips. Oh. God.

I start to struggle as much as I can in the current position. Dammit, why is he so strong? Why can't he be like other old guys, weak and brittle. I stomp on his foot. Nothing. I force my elbow out enough to catch the side of his head. Doesn't faze him. I maneuver my head enough to bite his hand. Eww. Not the best idea.

"You're a fierce pet. Almost as fierce as that Tala. Except I couldn't even pin him." How I wish I was Tala. Suddenly, Creepy bends down and places his flaps, er, lips on the tip of my ear. Gross! I'm going to be in the shower for 2 hours tonight. Kai where are you? "I don't like you as much as Tala, though."

"Then why don't you go after him?" His lips have made their way down to my neck. He snickers and releases my chin.

"That Bryan boy. Always in the way." He seems like he knows a bit about those two. Hey, maybe I can get some information about Tala and Bryan from this guy- Shit! That's cold!

The hand that released my chin is now on my waist under my shirt. How the hell could I think about Tala and Bryan in a time like this? I start thrashing more. I don't care how strong he is, I have endurance! I'm a world champion athlete! He has to tire sometime! I just have to hold out until..

"What is going on here?"

Kai! I think I could cry. He has come just in time! I seriously lucked out here. He's observing the scene that I am currently a part of and he looks absolutely furious. Creepy says a few words in Russian but his eyes are still glued to me. The two speak back and forth for a bit. Once in a while Kai will take a few steps closer, but he hasn't done anything to change my current position.

What the hell? Kai, _do_ something! Creepy says something that causes Kai's eyes to flare. I don't know what it was, but I'm glad he said it. Kai begins to advance at a hurried pace. This is it! He's going to save me! He's going to…

…

Lips…

…on mine.

And they're not Kai's.

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_Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!_

_Next Chapter: How to deal with a perverted Russian and Rei learns more about himself._

_reviews help a lot^^ thank you for reading! see you next week hopefully~_


	12. Taiyaki

_Early Saturday~ I don't know what possessed me to wake-up before 8am on a Saturday xP probably excitement for this chapter? lol there are a lot of surprises this week!_

_lol omg i realized how dedicated i am to beyblade. last night i was at the korean grocery with my friend and she was gonna buy me a snack. but then i saw these top shaped ice creams that had beyblade metal fusion on the box. i told her to buy me those instead xD ahahahaha oh dear..._

_i can't believe i'm alreay uploading chapter 12 T^T my baby is growing up so fast~ please enjoy^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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I was born in a mountain village in China. My parents raised me like all the other children of the village, but I was always curious. Because of this I got hurt a lot and discovered my sexuality very early in life. Then Lee's grandfather gave me Drigger. That's when I knew I needed to explore. I ended up in Japan where Mr. Dickinson offered to make me a part of his new beyblading team. That's when I met my teammates, and Kai. At first I hated him for being such a prick, but towards the end of the first tournament I felt sorry for him. I first realized my feelings for him when I had lost Drigger for the second time. That was when he showed me he really did have a heart. Then during our last tournament I wanted to kill myself for even thinking about being on a different team since meeting Kai. After we lost contact for a while, he called asking me for a favor when…

Did my life just flash before my eyes?

I'm still in the office, Kai is still at the door, and Creepy is still eating my face! My first kiss… was stolen… by this guy? While he's distracted I free my right hand and uppercut him in the jaw. I can hear it as it pops out of place then back in. He kissed me! The fucker kissed me! Perhaps I should explain why I've never kissed anyone….. But not right now. Now's not a good time. How about Sunday? While he recovers from my punch I try and force my way out from between his belly bump and the wall. Yeah, that doesn't work so well.

"You little…" Creepy has recovered and goes to grab me by the neck. He is interrupted by a hand on his face. It's Kai's hand. And that is Kai's leg placed precariously behind Creepy's knee. One hard shove and Creepy falls over Kai's leg and onto his ass. Kai still looks composed after all of this, if not a wee bit pissed.

"I think it's time you left." Creepy looks frazzled for a moment. Then he stands quickly and straightens his clothes. He doesn't meet Kai's eyes as he walks back to the couches, grabs his coat and briefcase, and heads for the door. About 3 feet from the door he stops and turns angry eyes to me. I don't feel the need to be polite at this point so I glare the hardest that my eyelids will allow without actually closing my eyes. This is interrupted, however, by a head of grey hair. Kai has stepped in front of me and is effectively blocking my view of Creepy. He nods to the door abruptly and the large Russian doesn't have to be told a third time.

Even after the door closes Kai and I stand where we are for a while longer without saying anything. I can hear the clock on the wall ticking softly. I can also smell Kai's intoxicating cologne. The smell disappears when Kai finally moves to his desk and sits down. He pulls out his blackberry and begins typing rapidly before he places it down fiercely. The sound of the phone hitting the desk causes me to jump slightly.

Kai sits back and shuts his eyes tightly. His left hand comes up to grip the bridge of his nose. He does that when he's mad. Well, not mad but just irritated. If he was mad he would grip someone else's nose… tightly…. And then break it.

The blackberry beeps twice the way it does when it receives a message and Kai grabs it to look at the screen. Whatever it says makes him feel better apparently. He lets out a hard sigh before relaxing. He leans back in his chair and drapes an arm over his tired eyes. I guess it's safe to approach.

"Um… Kai?" At the sound of my voice he stands and begins to place the scattered papers on his desk into a random pile. I take a few steps closer.

"I'm sorry about what I did…. Just now." No I'm not, but he may have lost a client because of me. I should show some remorse. He places his papers in the bottom drawer of his desk and grabs his bag. He hasn't said anything or looked at me yet, so I move even closer.

"I was, um, out of line for punching him, and…" He shoves his personal belongings into his bag and zips it closed. I'm standing at the edge of his desk by now and he still hasn't done anything to acknowledge me. "I hope that this doesn't affect your relationship with Cr- Belanov."

"We will no longer be working with him." I jump at the sound of his voice. I really wasn't expecting him to answer. And Kai just said…Wait, what did he say?

"K-Kai. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have-" Kai meets my eyes which causes me to shut-up. I really messed up now. What kind of an assistat punches a client? Well, one that is being sexually harassed but still!

"You did exactly what you should have done, and what I would expect you to do." I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. That's a relief. At least I didn't do anything I wasn't supposed to do. I wish I had known that sooner though. I would have punched the jerk fifty times by now, preferably with a pair of brass knuckles in a dark alleyway. A sudden sigh draws me out of my violent fantasies. Kai sits on his desk and looks out of the windows at the back of the office. He seems really beat.

"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have left you alone with him." After his first apology in the limo this one doesn't surprise me as much. The only difference between then and now is that he's sober.

I look down and tap my hands lightly on the desk. The fact that Kai feels bad makes me feel bad. It really isn't his fault, he was just doing business with a bad man. "It's not like you knew what he was going to do." The image of the kiss suddenly appears in my mind again and I visibly shudder. I guess Kai catches this since he turns to me. I bring my hand up to wipe futilely at my lips. The damage was done. I'm going to need more mouthwash.

A cool hand at the back of my neck causes me to look up. For a moment all I can see is crimson. "Kai?" This is a great view. Kai is so close that I can see every detail of his face. From his strong bone structure to his baby smooth skin. Yes, this is definitely what I want to wake up to every morning. My eyes wander over his features a bit more before returning to his eyes. I can't tell how he's feeling. He's not pissed anymore but there is definitely emotion, but what? "What is it?"

While I examine his eyes, Kai's head tilts to the side. I don't have any time to prepare before… his lips touch mine. Wait, no way. What? Yes. Oh my god… This can't be. Kai is _kissing _me! I bring a hand to my forearm to give it a quick pinch. Ow! Yes! It's not a dream!

The kiss is only a feather light touch, but it takes my breath away. I can't think straight. How do I kiss again? My eyes remain wide open until the hand on my neck massages gently forcing me to relax. As my eyes fall shut I try my best to respond to Kai's kissing. This is nothing like Creepy's kiss, my first kiss. No, scratch that. That doesn't count! _This_ is my first kiss. It's soft, so soft. I never thought Kai could be so gentle. It's sweet, caressing, and with just a hint of moisture. It's… perfect.

It's also brief. It ends too soon for me, but even when Kai breaks the kiss it is gentle. My eyes open slowly to meet crimson. His hand is still on my neck and I can feel his fingers playing with the hair there. The sensation causes a shiver to run through me. The corners of his mouth upturn slightly. His crimson orbs shut and he takes a deep breath. "I don't blame you for punching him Rei. I wanted to do the same when I saw him kiss…"

He stops as his eyes open to look into mine again. Then he removes his hand quickly and slides off of the desk.

"I'll see you on Sunday Rei." I snap out of my trance and turn to him. He is facing the wall while pulling on an overcoat. I can't see his face, but his tone has done a complete turnaround.

"Yeah. Sunday." I grab my things off of the coat rack and scurry to the door. What just happened?

I need to talk to Hilary.

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"We need to re-think our whole strategy." Hilary's arms are moving wildly as she explains. "He's not doing anything like I expected. We weren't even sure if he was gay." Currently, we are in the elevator heading to the fifth floor. Sunday came very quickly, too quickly. On top of that, Hilary was out of town to meet with buyers so I couldn't get a hold of her until late last night.

"Hilary, we still can't be sure." She pauses for a second to think about what I've said.

"You're right. There could be a hundred reasons for why he kissed you." The doors slide open and I follow her out towards the store. When we get inside we both see Ken standing in my station once again. Shit. I can't do this. I need more time! Hilary must have realized what this meant on her own since she turns to me and begins fixing my clothes.

"Ok, just stay calm. If Kai acts like nothing happened then you act like nothing happened. Got it?" I nod quickly. She pulls a small spray bottle out of her bag and uncaps it. "Open." I do as I'm told and she sprays the bottle's contents into my mouth. Damn, that burns! I would even say that it has the same potency as vodka. I can say this from experience.

Before I know it, Hilary pushes me out of the store. "Don't keep him waiting!"

I don't have to be told twice. I head straight for the elevators. What does Kai need me for today? Well he said if I did well that he would have me keep the job. That is the most logical reason. But I punched a client! Well, that was because of that kiss… Oh my god! What if it has something to do with the kiss?

Oh yeah, I was going to explain why I've never been kissed before now. You see, I grew up in a very conservative village. I didn't like any of the girls to begin with and there were no guys who were, let's just say, in touch with their inner queer. So no kissing there. Then I went off on my own and explored the world… alone. Again, no kissing. Next, I ended up with the Bladebreakers and Kai. Believe me, I wanted kissing. But it didn't happen. After retiring I ran off to Tokyo U where I had absolutely no time for anything but school and work. There still could have been kissing then, but the one I wanted to kiss kept running off without telling anyone. You know the rest.

Like Hilary said there could be a million reasons for that kiss. Curiosity, pity, amusement, lust… love? I shake my head to rid that last thought. There was no way that Kai felt the same. That kiss probably didn't mean anything. I think. My eyes trail over the intricate designs on Kai's office door. I'll just do what Hilary said. If Kai acts like nothing happened then so will I.

Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Russian bastard number 2. We stare at each other for a moment, surprised that the other is there. Then the corners of his lips curl slightly. "Nice timing, kitty." I can feel my eyes narrow at the pet name. "I was just about to come down and get you. I had a leash and everything."

"Bryan, dostatochno." My stomach does a back flip at the sound of Kai's voice. Bryan turns from the door and heads to the couches. From where I am standing, I can see that Kai isn't at his desk. I step into the office quickly and close the door. It is then that Kai steps out from behind the corner where Tala's desk is located. "Good morning Rei." His face shows no emotion. The same way it always does… Damn.

"Good morning." I force my everyday smile to my face. Tala's eyes turn up to study me for a moment before turning back to his work. Strange, he doesn't usually care about another person's presence. Did Kai tell him? Kai never tells anyone anything. Hopefully that includes the Russian bastards.

I pass by the couches that Bryan is currently occupying. He looks like a freeloader with his feet propped up on the coffee table. I follow Kai to his desk where he grabs a stapled bunch of papers. "The first thing I need for you to do is go to the head office of 109-2 and drop these off."

First thing? So there are more things to do here? More things that he needs me to do? Does that mean that this job is permanent? Kai's eyes meet mine and he raises a solitary eyebrow. Probably wondering why I haven't taken the folder and why I'm just standing here like an idiot… Oh! "Uh Kai, does this mean that…"

"You are now a permanent assistant and will no longer be working for JACKROSE but for me personally? Yes." Get out of my head (and into my bed). Still, I try hold back my smile as I grab the folder and head to the door. I get to work with Kai everyday!

One trip to the head department of 109-2 later I am stepping back into Kai's office. Kai is at Tala's desk telling him something. Whatever he's saying, Tala doesn't look too happy about it. His eyes fall on me with distaste. Kai also turns to me. "Rei, Tala will run you through your duties," Heh, doodies. "as my assistant." Wait, Tala?

Said Russian walks over to the couches and smacks Bryan's legs off of the coffee table. He then makes his way to me ignoring Bryan's string of curses. This guy is teaching me?

"Let's go." He brushes past me and out the door. I look to Kai for reassurance but he's already submerged in his work. "Move it, Kon!"

I rush out the door and nearly run into Tala's back in my haste. He glares but says nothing. I follow him down the stairs but keep a good distance incase my being alive causes him to snap. Once at the bottom of the stairs he stops abruptly and turns to me.

"As the new assistant you need to look professional. I'll find you new clothes to wear at work. I don't care what the hell you wear off the clock." He really has a way with words. I am led to a corner of Silver Bullet and Tala begins sorting through a rack of dress shirts.

"What shirt size are you?" Am I allowed to speak? He didn't give me direct permission. He seems to be waiting so I guess that's the go-ahead to answer.

"Um, medium, but sometimes small." He eyes me for a moment. Does he not believe me?

"Hn." He's a real William Shakespeare. I guess that's something he and Kai share. As he browses through some more racks I take a look around the store. It's moderately busy. The clientele here is slightly more mature than the customers at JACKROSE.

Tala has me try on a few shirts for size and appearance. When he is satisfied (or bored, I can't really tell) he grabs a handful of accessories and moves to another part of the store. On the way he tosses the items at me without warning. Good thing I'm a neko-jin and have reflexes like, well, a cat. Tala skims through a rack of pants before turning to me. "What size are you?"

"Uh, um, 76." The sound of the hangers stops and I look at Tala. He has stopped looking through the pants. His eyes are wide for a second before he turns to me. Those icy eyes scrutinize me up and down. Does the store not have my size? Suddenly, his eyes narrow into a glare and he turns back to the rack.

"You're pretty fat, aren't you?"

… What?

I don't have time to respond before he shoves a few pants in my hands to try on. After finding several things that Tala deems appropriate for me to wear at work, he grabs a couple bags to put the clothes in and we head back to the office. Tala's words are still running through my head. I'm fat? Well, I've developed a habit of grabbing a taiyaki on the way to the train station everyday. Is it starting to show?

Once inside I place my bags by the door. Kai is at his desk going over papers. Those sexy glasses are sitting on his perfect face. Tala suddenly calls me to his desk and I oblige. Good thing Bryan is slobbing on the couch and not anywhere near Tala's desk. When I reach his workspace, Tala hands me a planner and a blackberry. A blackberry? Is it mine?

"You are to keep appointments and schedule clients everyday. This blackberry is your work phone. It is not to be used for personal reasons." He then leans behind the desk and pulls out a leather messenger bag similar to Kai's.

"Use this to carry your shit. If you are not organized I'll kill you." Well there's one way to get motivated.

Tala sits in his chair and grabs a few papers. He skims over them for awhile before his cool blue eyes fall on me once again. "Well? Go away." I jump at the command and grab the things he gave me. I don't know exactly where to go so I settle on the armchair nearest to Kai's desk. I place the blackberry and planner into the messenger bag. I look up to see crimson eyes watching me before a smirk is sent my way.

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For the rest of the day I am in and out of the room delivering papers and telling the odd person what they need to do that week. While I am in the office I have to deal with the Russian bastards. It's not so bad since Kai is there to tell them off for me. Speaking of Kai, he hasn't referred to the kiss at all. I'm hoping that is because the other Russians are always present.

When 7:30 rolls around Tala begins to clear off his workspace and pack his bag. Bryan also picks up his work which consists of his phone, wallet, and keys. He doesn't do much around here besides occupy the couch space. When Tala is all packed he heads to Kai's desk. They exchange a few words and Tala heads for the door. Bryan throws a quick goodbye at Kai and follows Tala out. The door quickly falls shut behind them.

… now what?

It feels like I have nothing to do now. All day the only people I've talked to have been Russian bastards 1 & 2. This is mostly because they constantly throw insults at me, but it gave me something to do. Now it's just me and Kai.

Maybe I should bring up the kiss? No. Hilary said to wait for Kai to bring it up. _If_ he brings it up that is. I slump back in the armchair. I've been tense all day. Partially because of the Russian duo, but mostly because of what has been going through my mind all weekend. I've been kissed by an old Russian pervert, I've also been kissed by the love of my life who doesn't seem to even remember the incident at all, and Tala called me fat!

I'm pulled from my thoughts when a stack of papers is dropped onto the coffee table in front of me. Kai takes a seat on the couch to my right and begins sorting the papers. "This is the Men's Egg Promotion that you have probably heard about from your co-workers."

Really? Great! Now my curiosity can be fulfilled and I can tell Max about it. I lean forward to get a better look at the papers. There are some of just text titled "Purpose of Collaboration" and "Promotion Plan". Then there are some specifically of men's pictures. These are the models I'm guessing.

Kai pulls out the papers that only have text and places them to the side. "I need you to familiarize yourself with the models' profiles, particularly their likes and dislikes as stated on these papers. It is your job during the photo shoot to accommodate them to the best of your abilities." I pick up the few pages and skim through the pictures. Most of the models are foreign or good-looking Japanese men trying to look foreign. They are all really attractive. Not as handsome as Kai though. Except for…

…

…!

"Is this Bryan?"

Kai turns to me with a mildly shocked expression. "Are you surprised?" My eyes shift from the paper in my hand to Kai several times. They finally settle on Kai, silently asking the obvious question. Kai's expression changes from one of shock to amusement. "Yes, Bryan is one of our models. Our top model to be exact."

"B-but, how? Why?" I look through his profile, which is almost blank. Is this what his job is? Kai leans back in his seat and reads over one of the boring papers. "He knows how to control is body, more so than any other model you see in your hand. That's what got him the job in the first place. We have the Abbey to thank for that." I notice his eyes narrow slightly at the mention of the Demolition boys' previous home.

"He's also handsome." His crimson eyes turn to me and he smirks. "You can't deny that."

I feel my face heat up and I turn back to the papers in my hands. I shove Bryan's to the bottom of the stack revealing another model's profile. This guy looks familiar too. Maybe I've seen him in one of the magazines I've read. Next to me, Kai collects the other papers and stands. "That is your homework for the week. The photo shoot is Friday."

As he heads back to his desk I organize the papers alphabetically by last name (to be organized and to put Bryan near the bottom) and place them in the messenger bag. I stand and turn around to watch as Kai also packs up his personal items. His hands move quickly across the surface of his desk grabbing necessary items without looking. He doesn't need to, he's done this so many times it's probably second nature by now. As I watch his movements my eyes trail to the dark wood of the desk. I feel a blush spread across my face as I remember what took place at that desk just a few days prior.

Again, Kai doesn't seem to be thinking about it at all. I guess it's as Hilary had said. She must have known that Kai would act like nothing happened. That is something he has always done. But… I need to know. He _kissed_ me! And I'm in love with him. I have to know if it meant something. Anything.

Kai finishes packing and walks out from around his desk. Do it now Rei! "Uh, Kai." He pauses in pulling on his coat to look over his shoulder. "What?"

His eyes are too intense so I settle for looking at the bag in my hands. I can hear Kai pull on his coat and adjust his clothing. "I… was thinking."

"About?" He walks up to me and hands me my coat that was hanging next to his. I put down my bag to take it from him. "About… what happened… last Friday." He doesn't do what I initially expected. He doesn't do anything at all. He just looks at me for a moment. Then he turns and picks up his bag.

"I have made sure that Belanov will never come back here again." What? He starts to make his way to the door. "He won't be allowed near you- " That's not it!

"I wasn't talking about that…. That kiss. I meant the… the other one." He pauses with his hand on the doorknob. "The kiss that.. You gave me. Did it, I don't know… mean anything?"

I feel really unsure at this point. My eyes scan over the entire office but they always settle back on Kai. I'm not sure what's going through his head right now. He's not looking at me. It's so quiet I don't even think either of us are breathing. I just now notice that my hands have picked up their nervous fidget. Then Kai turns his head enough to where I can see a solitary eye.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

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_Next Chapter: Tension in the office and Rei goes on a diet?_

_bwah~ tell me what you think please xP thanks for reading, and see you next week hopefully^^_


	13. Muffins

_Ok, it's Sunday today. I don't know what happened with fanfiction. net yesterday... but i was so disappoint T^T i was so excited to upload this chapter and then, it doesn't upload! i was trying all morning from 9am to around 3pm... *cries forever*_

_well if this works, I'm excited for this chapter! xD i hope everyone enjoys it and sorry for the spam in your emails about it ^^;_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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"Rei, if you want we could go down to that crepe place you like after work. My treat!" Hilary's smile could make a blind man happy. She's assembling a mannequin for the new JACKROSE store makeover whatever thing. New season means new merchandise. I don't have to help because I technically don't work here anymore. I arrived about an hour early so that I could talk to Hilary. Obviously, I told her what occurred in Kai's office four days prior.

"It's alright Hilary. I don't think I should start eating my feelings." I rush over to catch the upper half of the mannequin before it falls. The plastic arm bops me on the head upon impact. Or I could have _let_ you fall and bounce around on the floor. Dumb mannequin. "Plus, I want to go on a diet."

Hilary's eyes narrow questioningly before turning to me. "A diet? Why? You look great!" She fixes the mannequin quickly and starts dressing it as I return to my previous position: leaning on a display case. I know Hilary is a good friend, a great friend, but I can't trust her when she compliments me. It might just be her way of being nice. I watch as she puts the finishing touches on the mannequin before taking a spot next to me on the display case.

"Why a diet all of a sudden?" I can't help but lean back and let out a sigh. Hilary winces as my back makes a popping noise. I didn't sleep too well last night. I bet you can't guess why.

"I think I need to lose a kilo. Since I've stopped blading I haven't been getting any exercise." Minus the fact that I run around campus and run back and forth from the train station. Oh, and running around for Kai now. Yup, with all of that running there is no time for exercise.

Hilary seems to accept my reasoning and smiles. "Alright, and for motivation I'll diet with you!" She wraps her arms around my body, pinning my arms down. "Let's go to that Russian restaurant we talked about and try borscht! It's supposed to be really good for you."

Even in my semi-depressed state I can't help but to laugh. I force my arms out of her grip and return the hug. She snuggles my chest and rocks us back and forth a few times. She really has become like a sister to me.

"Rei." I jump a bit at the interruption. Hilary and I turn around to see Kai. Sexy, handsome, asshole Kai. Now what does he want? Instead of letting go like I thought she would, Hilary's grip tightens. Kai's face is as stoic as ever. I shift my eyes over quickly to catch a glance at Hilary's face. Absolutely seething. "It's almost time for work."

"I wasn't expecting to see you down here until after the store was finished, Kai." Kai's look shifts from me to Hilary and his crimson eyes narrow at her tone. I knew it was going to be tense between me and Kai, but I had no idea Hilary would get in on this. The tension is overwhelming, and I'm not even a part of it.

"I won't have time afterwards to check up on things. Tala will do it." Brown eyes clash with crimson. No one can match a glare like Kai, except for Hilary. This could get ugly. I gently pull away from Hilary which grabs both her and Kai's attention.

"Hilary, I need to go. But I'll see you after work for that borscht." She smiles and stands as well. Reluctantly, I bid Hilary a temporary farewell and follow Kai out of the store. That was strange. I understand why Hilary was upset with Kai, but it's not like Kai to let Hilary get under his skin. Did Hilary do something to make him mad?

Once inside the office I hang up my coat and bag. Then Kai comes up next to me to do the same. I quickly pull out the model files that he gave to me on Monday and head for the couches without a word. I already memorized every model's likes, dislikes, age, birthday, name, residence, phone number, and shoe size. Yes, even Bryan's. I've had all week to study them. Unless Kai has some errand for me to run, this is what I've been doing for the past three days. It's a good way to ignore him without him getting pissed. I sit in the armchair at the coffee table and spread the pages out evenly. I could practically re-type these by memory. This one likes this and he lives here and…

"Am I that interesting to look at?" God dammit Bryan! He needs to stop sneaking up on me. I can't risk another heart attack. I think I'm down to five of my nine lives. "I'm not that handsome, am I?" His cold hand comes up under my chin and rubs it like I'm a cat.

"No, you're not." Kai's no-nonsense voice ceases Bryan's hand.

Bryan walks out from behind my armchair and glares at Kai. "Bastard." Kai's eyebrows jerk upwards to let Bryan know that he heard him but doesn't care. Even when he's being an ass he looks amazing. He's gone casual today, a black sweater with a loose turtleneck collar and skinny jeans. He matched this with a pair of black and white checkered high-tops. Shit, I'm staring. This is not how you ignore someone.

I turn back to the pages laid on the coffee table. The photo shoot is tomorrow and everyone in the office (except Bryan) is preparing. Kai is making calls to different people making sure they are going to be there. Tala is doing some smart-ass statistics stuff on his laptop. Well, at least my job is set. I just have to take care of the models tomorrow and I'm done.

But what do I do about Kai? I plan to keep this job for a while, so I can't be ignoring him the whole time. But how can he kiss me and then act like it never happened? I don't know how this situation is going to get better. For now I guess I'll let it run its course.

A knock at the door grabs everyone's attention. Being assistant I automatically go to answer it. As I pull open the door an overly happy voice fills the office. "Ah, good morning everyone!" I move aside to avoid the door that is now being pushed into me. A very attractive older woman steps into the office. She is carrying a large basket wrapped in colorful papers and ribbons.

"I've brought some breakfast for everyone. It's just muffins, nothing special." Kai gives her a smile as he accepts the gift.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Kawabata. We are sure to enjoy them." He leans over and places a kiss on her cheek. Tala and Bryan also approach her and do the same. She wishes them luck with the shoot tomorrow, which is probably the reason for the basket. She said the muffins were 'nothing special' but she keeps bringing up little details like 'they were hard to get because they come from this one little bakery' or 'they weren't cheap at all.' That said she turns and finally notices me. Surprising since I was the one who let her into the office to begin with.

"I've never seen this one around before." This one? Well squeeze me honey.

Kai moves to stand at my side and places his hand on the top of my head. "This is my assistant Rei Kon. Rei, this is Mrs. Kawabata. She is the head secretary of 109-2." I give her a deep bow at the introduction. She doesn't return the favor. Instead, she eyes me up and down before looking back at Kai with a smile.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't mess up right?" Bryan snorts behind her and Tala brings a hand to his mouth to cover a "cough." They're all assholes.

The bitch finally leaves and Kai places the basket on the coffee table. Bryan grabs two muffins and places one on Tala's desk. Kai also grabs one before eyeing it. Seeing this I head for the door. He's going to want coffee with that. "Rei, would you-"

"Bring you a coffee? Of course." Kai doesn't eat any breakfast without coffee. I head down the ivory staircase and make a left into the staff area of Silver Bullet. I greet the few people that i recognize along the way. I don't know many of the people who work in Silver Bullet mostly because the majority will not even give me a second glance, or even a first glance. Much like the Russian bastards, they don't think I deserve this job.

Anyway, Kai likes the French roast, very black coffee, But here's the kicker. He always has it with at least two packets of sugar and 1/3 of the cup has to be milk. Cute right? I'm starting to suspect that he only drinks the French roast just so that he can _tell_ people that he does and seem like the big macho businessman. What he fails to mention is that he practically sweeten the crap out of it before even taking a sip. With that said I have also come to a rather distressing realization.

I've worked with Kai long enough to learn almost everything about him. How he likes his coffee, his love for sweets (though he won't admit it), his workaholic attitude, how he treats each client, his love-hate relationship with Bryan and close friendship with Tala, everything! But I've never felt as distant from him as I do now. I shake the thought from my head and place the plastic lid on the disposable coffee cup. As I work my way back up to the office I place an 'I don't give a damn' mask on my face. I've had this on all week it feels like.

Upon entering the office, I notice that the number of baskets on the coffee table has doubled. Someone else must have stopped by. The second basket seems to be all fresh fruit. I place Kai's coffee on his desk and move back to the couches ignoring his "thanks". Bryan has moved onto his second muffin by now while Tala is picking away at his first one. I can feel my stomach protest at its lack of a oven-baked blueberry pastry. I love muffins. I want a muffin. But I want to lose weight more. Sorry tummy.

Before long, noon comes around and there is another knock on the door. Like before I go to answer. A delivery boy comes in with a few metal boxes. The smell that follows him tells me that there is food in those boxes. Delicious food.

"Good afternoon. I have a lunch delivery from Mr. Takahashi." Takahashi is the head of men's fashion for 109-2. I've met him a couple times. "He wishes Mr. Hiwatari the best of luck for tomorrow." I guess it's some kind of tradition in this building to send food to wish someone luck.

After the food is delivered, Bryan scares the poor boy off (without saying or doing anything mind you) and they all sit around the food at the coffee table. I take the seat I had occupied before, which is now between Kai and Bryan. Joy. I collect my papers from the table, but pause when I see what kind of food has been delivered.

Bulgogi, bibimbap, kalbi, and sundubu all with rice. Of course, some of my favorite foods when I decide to diet. Must have been delivered from that popular Korean restaurant nearby. The one that will give you a buttload of sidedishes along with your entree. Like kimchi, and radish, and those little salted fishes... Dammit, I'm drooling. I stand with my papers and leave to place them in my bag hanging on the wall. Hey, if I breathe through my mouth then I can't smell the food.

"Rei, if you're hungry then eat." I was hoping Kai wouldn't notice. But of course he would. I would have never passed up free food before (a trait me and Tyson share). That must be due to the fact that I grew up in a village where they haven't quite mastered crop cycling. A good meal was a privilege not a guarantee. Tala wipes his mouth with a napkin before heading back to his desk. The guy ate, like, nothing! Ungrateful jerk-off. That's probably why he's so slim though. I wish I had his body.

"What's the matter kitty? Don't want to eat with uncle Bryan?" Well, there's one way to stick to a diet. Pretend you have to eat every meal with Bryan. I ignore him and turn to Kai even though he's facing away from me. "I'm ok. I'm going out to eat with Hilary after work."

Bryan's eyes dart up to Kai and a huge grin spreads across his face. "Revnivyĭ?" Kai shoots him a glare before going back to his meal. Bryan chuckles and also continues eating. What was that about? Those two finish shortly after and go back to work. Well, Kai goes back to work. Bryan takes up the couch for a nap. So it's my job to clean up the food. Great.

I ignore my stomach enough to clear off the coffee table and put away leftover food back into their containers. When the garbage is full I pull out the bag and take it out of the store and throw it into one of the public bins. Well at least the food will be out of sight. Now I can relax a little bit. I head back to the office giving plenty of time for the food smell to air out.

Now if only the tense atmosphere would do the same.

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The rest of the day carries on as usual. I don't have to leave the office often so I'm mostly sitting until Kai asks me to do something. Bryan has been napping since he finished his lunch. Why the hell does he bother coming to "work" anyway? He doesn't do anything. From the corner of my eye I see Tala glance at his watch before standing. He says something to Kai which causes him to stand as well.

"We'll be back in a bit." I simply nod and watch as Tala and Kai leave the office. They're probably going down to check the stores. They don't need me for that. And with Bryan asleep, someone else needs to stay and watch the office. Yup, just me and Bryan.

…

!

Somehow I've crawled onto the arm of the couch opposite Bryan. Good defense incase he decides to attack me in his sleep. He could do it too. How could I be so stupid! I wasn't thinking at all when Kai and Tala left. Now I'm going to die.

After a couple minutes of balancing on the armrest and successfully cutting off circulation to my calves, I have come to the conclusion that Bryan won't kill me. At least not yet. And if I sit on my calves any longer they will have to be amputated. I let out a sigh and start to lower myself onto the couch cushion.

"That's right, I won't bite." Yup, back on the armrest. I look at Bryan's face to find a lavender eye opened just a crack. His lips curl into a smirk. "Hard."

He brings his arms over his head to stretch. He's so tall that he takes up the full length of the couch and then some before he settles back again. Not wanting to seem like a bigger pussy than I already have, I settle back onto the couch cushions. Just ignore Bryan until Kai gets back. I might even still be alive when Kai returns. There's a thought.

"So the kitten likes the phoenix." Before I can stop myself I look at Bryan in disbelief giving him his answer. How does he know? He chuckles heartily (read: evilly) and folds his arms behind his head while crossing his legs. "You're obvious kitten. Keep it up and even Kai will care to notice."

Was I really that obvious? Shit. I cross my arms, partially for self-defense, and glare at the coffee table. Stupid Bryan and his stupid observing.

"You want to know what else is obvious?" Again, I ignore him. Maybe if I don't answer anything he'll just shut-up… Or kill me. I need to re-think my strategies. "The fact that he's too good for you."

… Ok, this is Bryan. He will say anything to get under your skin. That's just how he is. What does he know anyway? It's not like he's in a relationship. What crazy person would fall for him?

Bryan's eyes fall on me and he smirks again. "Deny it all you want kitten, but it's true. Just look at where you both come from." He closes his eyes and kicks a pillow off of the couch as he switches legs. "You came from dirt." Ouch. "Kai was practically fed caviar from a bottle."

"Do you really think it would work? Even if he were crazy enough to give you a chance, it wouldn't last." I know Bryan is just probably trying to irritate me, but he's doing a great job at it! Everything he's saying has some truth to it. I'm starting to doubt myself as he keeps talking. "You're not worth the shit at the bottom of his shoes."

"That's enough Bryan." My eyes dart up to the door where Kai and Tala have just walked in. How much did they hear? Kai says something to Bryan in Russian to which Bryan answers with a wave of his hand. Kai glares but heads to his desk without another word. Tala walks past the couch towards his own desk. He is stopped, however, when Bryan snatches his hand as he passes. Bryan says something with a grin but Tala doesn't seem as amused and pulls away. Bryan is still grinning at Tala's retreating form. I _need_ to know what's going on with these two.

I realize that Tala is packing up and check the time on my watch. Yup, almost time to go. Tala finishes packing and Bryan finally gets up from the couch. They both say something to Kai before leaving the office. Not wanting to sit around until my shift is over I start walking around the office collecting stray pieces of garbage. Just a bit more time and I can go eat with Hilary. In the middle of this activity my cell phone rings. I bet it's Hilary. I pull it out from my pocket and sure enough it's her. "Hey Hil."

"_Rei! I just left the building. I need to run an errand but I'll be done by the time you get off. I'll just meet you at the restaurant, ok?" _My stomach grumbles at the mention of food. I'm starving, literally. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll see you there."

"_Bye Rei~" _She says this in a singsong voice.

"Bye Hilary~" I try my best to mimic her, but I can hear her laugh before hanging up. I return my phone to my pocket and head to the garbage to throw away whatever I've picked up.

"Is there something between you two?" I pause at the trash bin and look at Kai. He is still looking at some papers but that question was obviously directed at me. When I don't answer right away he meets my eyes. "You and Hilary."

I snap out of my trance and turn to the bin watching the scraps of paper fall from my hand. "Of course not. Why do you ask?" It's not like you would care anyway.

I brush some stubborn scraps from my hand before walking back to the couches. Kai turns back to his work before answering. "I wouldn't care otherwise, but I don't condone relationships between employees."

It is at this moment that my stomach decides to tell me that I haven't fed it yet. I can feel my face turn as red as Kai's eyes, which have fallen on me once again. He pulls off his glasses and brings his hands together under his chin while he studies me. "And here is another question. Why haven't you eaten today?"

My right hand rests on my midsection in a futile attempt to shut it up. "It's not like you to skip meals if you can help it." I turn away from his scrutinizing stare. I don't want to tell you.

"Why not?"

Shit, I said that out loud. I nervously meet his eyes. "It's… embarrassing."

At this Kai stands and moves around his desk to lean on the front of it. "I need to know, Rei." I meet his eyes and search for a reason for that statement. None.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"Why?"

"Well, if you collapse in my office from malnourishment because you decided not to eat then you wouldn't be of much use to me now would you?" Makes sense. Damn.

I let out a heavy sigh before looking at my feet. "I… want to lose weight." When Kai doesn't say anything I slowly look up to see his face. His eyes are about twice their usual size. They quickly return to normal and he crosses his arms. "Rei, why do you want to lose weight?" I feel like a child who just told his parents that he wants to run away. Kai's stare has that effect on people.

I twiddle my thumbs for a moment before deciding to start at the beginning. "That day when I went with Tala to get clothes, he… asked me what size I was and when I told him he said that… that I was fat." I take a deep breath having wasted it all on that one sentence. I meet Kai's eyes to see what he thinks but his face is the same as before.

"Rei." He uncrosses his arms and places his hands in his pockets. "In the fashion industry, _everyone_ is, as you put it, fat." He offers a slight shrug before looking out the window behind him. "There are just certain kinds of fat that people find attractive." I study his face to see if he's lying, but Kai never lies. "That's how the industry works. They beat down the majority of people and weed out the ones that most people would find appealing."

That's a rather silly thought. How can everyone be fat? I guess the fashion industry is a very cruel place. But the fact that Kai is telling me this, is he trying to make me feel better?

"So, everyone is fat?" Kai meets my eyes and nods. "Yes."

Suddenly a very amusing thought pops into my head and a grin spreads over my face. "So, Bryan's fat too?" At my rather bold statement, Kai raises an eyebrow but smirks. "Yes."

…

"And you're fat?"

"Don't push it, Kon."

Though he sounds pissed I can see the traces of a smirk on his face. This feels good. For one I'm not fat technically, and I can talk to Kai like I had before the… incident. I don't know if anything will progress from here. For now, I'll enjoy this mutual relationship. Kai suddenly looks thoughtful before he shakes his head and begins to collect his things. "What?"

Kai looks me over for a moment. "It's strange for Tala to be calling you fat." I tilt my head at this. Honestly, I wouldn't put it past the guy. I could see him telling a 3-year-old to go on a diet.

"Why do you say that?" Kai places both of his hands on his desk and looks me in the eye with a smirk. "How do you think I knew what size you were when I first gave you clothes to wear?"

Is this a trick question. I really don't know. I rack my brain for an answer. Kai had never asked me my size before that time so I thought it was strange too. After a moment of pondering I finally give up and look back at Kai. His smirk deepens before he decides to answer.

"You and Tala wear the same size."

…

That asshole!

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_Next Chapter: The Men's Egg photoshoot and a surprising appearance._

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter^^ see you next week hopefully xP_


	14. Onigiri

_*yawn* ~it's Staurday~ so, i wonder how people are going to react to this chapter? I love-hate this chapter myself xP hopefully i dont spam your inboxes this week hurr durr xB_

_so this past week i got both the most views in one day and the least. 349 in one day but i blame this on the derp uploading lol_

_It's still shocking to me how quickly this story is going, i mean chapter 14 already! lol well enjoy^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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I don't want to exaggerate. I really don't. Yeah, I'm tired, fatigued, and downright exhausted. But I don't want to seem like a whiner. Rei Kon is not a whiner. I've battled opponents who more or less wanted me dead. I didn't whine then, I'm not whining now. So I guess I'll put this as simply as I can. Without exaggerating of course. The bottom-line is…

My legs are going to fall off.

Yeah.

The reason for this? The bane of my existence since I started working for Kai. That's right. Bryan. Stupid, high-maintenance, Bryan. Let me bring you to the current situation. It's the day of the photo shoot. Most of the models have arrived by now, but here's the kicker. Bryan got here _early_. Yeah, and you want to know why? So that he could order my ass around and take advantage of me waiting on him hand and foot, since 8:00am!

The shoot ends at 6:00pm.

Right now I am making my way over to the bastard with his seventh (yeah, seventh) cup of coffee. The other six were just not to his liking. Apparently making a cup of coffee exactly how he asked for it is "not to his liking".

I was pretty surprised when I showed up this morning to find that the photo shoot would be held in an empty studio building. I've passed by this place a couple of times on my way to and from the university. There has been a huge "FOR LEASE" sign on the front of it for a couple of months now. One of the photographers that greeted me this morning said that they chose this building for the size, not the appearance. It is just like he said: plenty of room but there is a reason why it's still for lease. Honestly, I'm sure no one wants it.

Speaking of not wanting something, there's Bryan. He's sitting in front of the actual photo taking area. A bunch of bright lights are pointed to a few backdrops hanging on one of the walls. The main color scheme seems to be red and black. No surprise.

"Here's your coffee…. again" I practically shove the cup at Bryan hoping that the gods love me enough to cause the plastic lid to become undone just enough for the boiling hot liquid to scorch his model face. Then the photographers will have no use for him and he'll be out of work and I'll never have to see him again. Guessing by his lack of painful screaming, the gods still hate me and I didn't get my wish.

Bryan looks up from his newspaper. He had better be reading every word in that newspaper. I had to run to the convenient store five blocks over to get that newspaper because he said that the convenient store right around the corner didn't sell the same newspaper. They were exactly the same mind you. Bryan is a sick and twisted man.

He eyes the cup in my hand before looking at me. A sinister sneer appears across his features and he leans back triumphantly.

"You know what Kon? While you were gone, I had a change of heart." Can't change what you don't have. "I've realized that the _first _cup of coffee you made was perfect. Go and get one exactly like that." Mother flipping son of a hairy catfish! I hiss audibly while he resumes reading his newspaper. I have to mentally hold myself back from dumping the whole cup on his head.

I stomp back across the studio toward the refreshment table that I've become quite familiar with. On my way I leave a stream of very colorful curses in my wake. The attendant at the refreshment table gives me a sympathetic look. I don't need your pity lady, I need a pistol. Either for Bryan or myself. I haven't decided yet.

"Rei?" I glance over my shoulder to find a blonde male around my age. I recognize him as one of the models from the profiles I studied. If I recall correctly, his name was Matthew Satou and he works for Men's Egg. I give him a small smile before turning back to the coffee at hand. "Hello Mr. Satou. If you need something I can be with you in a minute."

When the coffee resembles what I had made earlier that morning I turn to head back to Russian bastard number 2. I wonder how good my aim would be if I chucked the coffee at him from where I'm standing. A hand on my shoulder stops me and I turn to meet dark eyes. Why do I feel like I've seen these eyes before?

"I guess you don't remember me… again. We had talked back at Tokyu Department Store." I've met many guys at Tokyu, honey. You're going to have to do better than that.

"I had.. Um, asked you out… on a date." His face turns a bright rouge and he scratches his head through his blonde hair. I'm feeling a sense of deja-vu. He laughs nervously before trying again. "You were eating a crepe… chocolate-banana I believe." Something clicks.

"Twinkie-boy!"

"Pardon?"

"Uh, nothing. I hadn't realized you would be one of the models for the shoot." I switch the coffee cup to my other hand as it was getting just a bit too hot. Hey, by talking to this guy I can avoid serving Bryan for a while. Awesome game plan Kon! You're playing for the rest of the season!

Twinkie, er, Matthew seems to feel a little more comfortable around me now that I remember meeting him previously. "Yeah, I hadn't realized that you would be working here either. When you suddenly left Tokyu and never called I was really, well, disappointed." D'aww he's a cutie. If I weren't chasing Kai like a cat chasing a laser pointer I would totally give him a chance. But I am, so I won't.

Matthew leans back against the refreshment table. I can see why he's a model. He's just all around good-looking. I'm waiting for someone to jump out and take his picture right now. "So Rei. May I ask what your new job is?"

I'm about to take a spot next to him against the table, but that's just asking to be compared to him physically. I settle for standing casually at a comfortable distance. "I'm an assistant for Silver Bullet." His eyes go wide before he chuckles.

"That's surprising! I thought that with your looks you would have been scouted by now." Did you hear that Kai? My looks should have made me a model by now. My ego has skyrocketed but I wave off his comment modestly.

"There is no way I could be a model. My looks aren't amazing." He shrugs and looks at me through his bangs. His dark eyes hold a hit a mischievousness.

"I think you're the sexiest thing I've ever laid eyes on."

The cup of coffee in my hand suddenly seems cold compared to my now heated face. Did he really just say that? He laughs from either embarrassment or at my expression and I slowly laugh along with him. Suddenly, one of the stylists calls for him from the dressing room (bathroom).

"It looks like I have to go now. But if we both have free time today I would love to sit and chat some more!" Even though he is nowhere near the same league as Kai, he is handsome and nice. It feels good to have another gay guy to talk to. Someone who actually makes me feel worthwhile and not like a piece of meat or the dirt under his shoe. I give him a genuine smile and nod. "I would like that too."

I wave him off and he trots over to meet with the stylists. I thought it would be hell not having Hilary here to keep me sane, but I'm glad Matthew's here. I'm honestly looking forward to talking with him more. I wonder if he likes beyblading-

"Kon!"

Damn you Bryan! I stomp over to where he is still sitting, but now there is a female stylist fussing with his hair. Once again I shove the coffee in his face.

"Here." He glares at me abruptly as if handing him coffee that he asked for was the most offensive thing I could have ever done. If he asks me to spoon-feed it to him I'm pouring it down his pants…. And then running like hell.

"Forget the coffee. I want tea."

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Cold metal feels good against my face. It does after all of that running around anyway. Tala and Kai showed up a while ago so Bryan actually had to go and do model stuff. Unfortunately, even when he was getting his pictures taken he still found things for me to run around for.

"_Kon! Bring Tala a coffee!"_

"_Kon! Tala's cold, give him your jacket."_

"_Kon! Tala wants an onigiri. And don't go to the convenient store around the corner, it's no good."_

"_Kon!"_

"_Kon!"_

Agh! I can still hear his voice in my head! I'm trying my hardest to smack it out but it's not working! Shut-up, shut-up, shut-up!

"What are you doing?"

I jump out of my seat to find Kai standing in the doorway. Of course he would find me in here beating up my own head. Here being a back room that I found for a hiding place. I ran over here to get away from the Russian bastards and figured that it was far enough away to not be found. Nothing is in here really, just a metal desk that I was previously occupying, a file cabinet, and a clock. I glance at said clock and figure that I've been gone a whole 10 minutes.

"I was wondering where you had gone." Really? You took an interest in my whereabouts? I'm touched really. He leans against the doorframe as the door swings closed. God, he looks so good. Why isn't he a model instead of stupid Bryan? Kai would make a lot more money if he modeled for himself. Or for me. I would pay for that. It's amazing how the fluorescent lights really make his eyes _pop_! Even when he's looking down at his blackberry I can still see the color perfectly. Hey… wait a second.

"You'd better not be texting Bryan and telling him where I am." His crimson eyes land on me and he raises a solitary brow. Yup, still sexy.

"Do you really think that I would do something like that?" He pockets his blackberry and leans back into his previous position. This time his arms are folded as he waits for an answer.

"No, I guess not." I slide onto the top of the desk behind me and cross my legs Indian style. My thighs take this opportunity to tell me that they are in pain. I thump on them lightly to try and massage the ache away. Oh yeah, that hurts.

Kai makes his way across the room and leans against the desk next to me. I'm not sure why he's still here. He said he was wondering where I was but that doesn't necessarily mean he was looking for me. And even if he was looking for me, he found me, so why stay?

Still, I'd better take advantage of our close proximity. Maybe if I maneuver myself to the side and over a little and… oh yeah, shoulder-to-shoulder. It's getting nasty up in here. I wonder if he'll notice.

"You know," I can see that Kai is observing my hands as they massage my thighs. "When I said you had to accommodate the models, that didn't include Bryan."

What? My hands cease their ministrations and I turn to Kai in disbelief. It would have been nice if he had told me that earlier. He could have told stupid Bryan, too! "Just ignore him and Tala will get him what he needs."

Okay, now he's just talking crazy. "Do you honestly think that Tala would get him anything?" I don't care how close Bryan and Tala are. Tala wouldn't do anything for anyone if it didn't benefit himself. Kai himself told me that Tala only agreed to help Kai because he gets paid double of what stupid Bryan makes.

Kai thinks about what I said for a moment. "Well… no. But he would complain to me about what Bryan asked for and then I could get it for him." A chuckle escapes me at this statement. It's amazing really. When I first met Kai I would never have laughed at anything he said. 98.99% of what he says is probably not something to laugh at while about 1% would be witty comments at other people's expense. This leaves a mere .01% leftover for laughable material. Now I can laugh freely without fearing for my life and doing all of this math.

I turn to him still smiling and find something… odd. He's also looking at me, this is odd in itself. But he looks different. Not physically, he didn't just sprout bunny ears and a button nose. His expression is what looks different. He doesn't look stressed or bored like he usually does (his only two feelings really). I wouldn't say that he looks downright happy either. Something in the middle, something like… content.

I'm not sure how long we are both sitting here just staring at each other. It feels nice, too nice. I think if I breathe too loudly the moment will be lost forever. Who knows if I'll ever get another chance to just look at Kai with him knowing, and with him looking right back! Not the kind of moment you want to mess up.

I tilt my head down slightly which causes stray hair to fall over my face. Damn, I've never wanted to cut my hair before, but it's blocking my view of Kai! Oh, they moved away. Much better. Wait, they moved away because of a hand. _Kai's_ hand! He doesn't remove that hand either. He runs it through my hair and rests it at the back of my head. There's that deja-vu again.

For a moment nothing happens, just some more gazing at Kai's gorgeous face. Then his hand slides to my neck and I can't stop the gasp that escapes my lips. Something flashes in Kai's eyes and they narrow slightly. His fingers massage gently and… oh… oh, that feels nice. I'm just going to shut my eyes and enjoy this for a moment. Why is it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? I try biting my lip to control my breathing, but Kai's hand is just too amazing. I'm getting that drowsy feeling you get after taking cold medicine. I force my eyes open to look at Kai's face. He's watching me with a smirk and his crimson eyes are half-lidded. Damn, that's hot.

My lips feel dry so I wet them with my tongue quickly. The smirk on Kai's face suddenly vanishes but his hand doesn't stop. Instead, it takes a more secure hold on my neck and he leans closer. Wait, this is how it happened last time in his office. He holds me firmly, but gently before he leans over to… to… pull away? He pulls back and detangles his hand from my hair. But why?

"K-Kai?" His eyes meet mine and I can see they still have that _something_ in them, the something that I saw the last time he kissed me. He breaks the eye contact and shakes his head. He starts to stand, wait, no! He can't leave!

I move onto my knees on top of the desk and grab for his shoulders. He turns abruptly from the shock of my action but relaxes. He has to look up at me due to my temporary height advantage. Once he realizes that I'm not going to attack him he sighs and grabs my hands on his shoulders. "Rei, listen-"

"No, you listen." To what? I don't know what to say! Shit, he looks pissed. I interrupted him. What do I do?

I feel Kai's grip tighten on my hands and I do the only thing I can think of to keep him here. I wrap my arms completely around his neck and crash my lips onto his. And when I say crash, I mean crash. My teeth pretty much smash my lips against his. I know he felt that one.

I wince and pull away slightly but stop when Kai's lips move against mine. He is definitely kissing me back. Yes! His hands leave my arms to rest on my waist. Yes, yes! His hands move lower to trace the expanse of skin between my shirt and pants. Oh… yes.

My temporary height advantage forces his head back and I run a hand lightly down the front of his neck. I feel him shudder and tighten his grip on my hips. I found a weakness. Duly noted.

Suddenly, his hands are at my shoulders and he pushes me away. He holds me at arms length as he steadies his breathing. His eyes no longer have what I saw before. They are exactly the same as they have always been. Cold and uncaring. He releases my shoulders and turns away. All I can manage to do is watch. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Rei, this can't happen."

"Why not?" I come down from the desk deciding that if I want to appear headstrong I need to be on my feet. "Kai, I don't understand you. One minute you seem okay with me and the next minute you push me away. Why?"

I take a step closer as I wait for his answer. For his sake it had better be a good one. Kai shoves his hands into his pockets and meets my eyes. "Why do you want this?"

His eyes are so intense that I have to look away for a moment. He really wants an answer. A part of me thinks that he already knows the answer. "Because… I love-"

"I don't love you Rei." It feels like a hand just reached down my throat to clench my heart. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Ever since I realized me feelings for Kai, my one fear was rejection. I have to take a moment to adjust my breathing. I can see tears cloud my vision, but I blink them away. There is no way I'm going to cry in front of Kai.

"We're too different."

"_Just look at where you both come from."_ Has he been talking to Bryan about this? Ah shit, there's that doubt again. _"You came from dirt." _God Bryan get out of my head! _"He's too good for you."_

I look up to the ceiling as a last resort to keep my tears from falling. This takes longer than I thought. As soon as I blink the tears away I can feel the sting of new ones forming. I was never like this, not before Kai came back. I was strong and I'm trying my best to stay that way. When I'm sure the tears are not going to fall I look back to Kai. He has moved to the side of the room with the clock. Away from me.

"Different how?" It's his turn to look away. He shakes his head before looking back at me.

"Rei-"

"Tell me!" He doesn't even blink at my outburst. For a moment he doesn't say anything. It's almost like he's deciding whether or not to actually tell me. He turns and looks up at the clock. For a moment it seems like he really won't tell me. Then a crimson eye looks over his shoulder and into my cloudy ones.

"I'm too good for you."

At first I don't realize that the sob echoing in the room is my own. I wipe the single tear that managed to escape and hurry to the door. I'm not thinking right now. All I can see is me doing all of the stupid and desperate things that I did to better myself. Learning how to dress myself. Learning how to dress others. Being a better sales-associate. Reading those stupid magazines. Putting up with stupid Bryan! Drinking that goddamn vodka! Becoming his goddamn assistant!

All for this one guy who doesn't feel a thing for me.

I grab the cool metal of the door handle and pull it open harshly. All I want to do is go home, crawl under my covers, and die. Why did I ever agree to any of this? I need to be more like Tala. From now on I won't do anything for anyone unless it benefits myself. No more-

"Rei!"

"What?" Shit, it's Matthew. And he looks about two steps away from a heart attack. I calm myself as much as I can before giving him a fake smile. "Sorry, I'm just a bit stressed out."

He accepts my answer and smiles in return. What is he doing in this part of the studio anyway? He was taking pictures a while ago so he has his hair and make-up done. "You look nice."

I finally notice that he has his bag and jacket with him. He sees me looking at his jacket and seems to remember something. "Oh, I just got a call from my agency and I have another shoot tomorrow morning in Okinawa. I need to catch my flight in a couple hours."

I barely catch what he is saying because guess whose crimson eyes are watching. Matthew is standing with his back to the room so he doesn't notice Kai standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, we didn't get a chance to hang out." I really do feel bad. If I had been hanging around Matthew then I wouldn't have had to run into Kai and… I offer an apologetic smile that Matthew just waves off.

"It's ok! But I have a free weekend coming up and I wanted to, you know, take you out." At this statement I can see the eyes over Matthew's shoulder fall on me.

"So," he takes my hand and rubs the top of it with his thumb, "what do you say?" I try my hardest to keep my eyes on his. But they turn to meet the red ones a few feet away. I return his hold on my hand and give it a small squeeze. Those red eyes are staring right back at mine. Matthew may not know this, but there are two people waiting for my answer.

"I'd love to."

Matthew gives me the brightest smile yet. He continues to ramble about how happy he is and about all of the things he wants to do with me. I think he's telling me about how long he has been wanting to go out with me. I don't catch any of it though. Another sound has caught my attention.

The slam of the door as Kai brushes past us.

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_Next Chapter: Rei comes home to a lonely apartment and finds out what kind of friends he really has._

_I can honestly say chapter 15 will not be like any of the others^^ see you next week hopefully~_


	15. Instant Ramen

_Saturrrrday~ This week felt longer for me, idk why xP but here is chapter 15^^ I like this chapter for personal reasons. and btw..._

**_3/4 COMPLETE!_**

_yup, were getting to the big BIG stuff! starting chapter 16! thank you for reading and please enjoy~_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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I've always lived alone, but tonight my apartment feels emptier than ever.

After removing my shoes I move to step up the single step out of the entryway. A sudden pain in my side brings me back to the events at the photo shoot. I was successful in avoiding Kai for the remainder of the shoot. Unfortunately, I also decided that I didn't want to deal with Bryan either. He didn't take too kindly to my ignoring him and delivered me a few hard shoves, jabs and curses. Honestly, after what Kai did I don't think anything could hurt more.

A chime from my phone catches my attention. I lean against the nearest wall and pull out the nuisance. It's a text from Matthew.

"_Hey Rei, I just got to the hotel in Okinawa. The shoot is postponed to tomorrow ^^;"_

I'm not in the mood for texting, but I'm not a mean person by nature (just by circumstance). I type out a quick response without really knowing what I'm typing, something about wanting to go to Okinawa and trying to sound interested in what he's doing. After I hit send I can't help but wonder if Kai texts. Well, I've seen him text for business, but I wonder if he does it in his personal time… I should not be thinking about him right now. Another text arrives and I read it over quickly.

"_I miss you already~" _

I stare at the message for a minute deciding whether to reply or not. Coming to a decision I snap my phone closed.

I head to the kitchen and pull out a plastic bowl of instant noodles. I'm not hungry, but I'm emotional, so food is still in order. I don't understand why these noodle bowls are always shrink-wrapped. As if these noodles are sacred and all outside forces need to stay away. Almost like Kai and his stupid barriers not letting anyone in that asshole! I struggle with the plastic wrap around the bowl before it opens with a burst sending the whole bowl to the floor. I let out a sigh before retrieving the bowl and pulling the plastic lid halfway off.

I set the two packets inside the bowl to the side and head to the hot water dispenser. Yup, scolding hot water, just like hot-headed Kai, that asshole! I push the button to the dispenser to pour water- "SHIT!" Right onto my hand, god dammit!

After flailing my medium rare hand around I sigh forcefully. I successfully fill the bowl without further injury and set it aside. While the noodles are being cooked I grab the packet of soup base. I always have a hard time getting into these packets. Almost like trying to get Kai to let you in but he just won't open the hell up because he's such a stupid-!

The package in my hands finally gives and powdered soup scatters all over the counters.

Why is it that when you're upset you can't do anything right so you just get more upset. I reach up and wipe at my teary eyes. I don't think they're tearing because of the powdered soup either.

I need to get out of here.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Hilary!"

I don't know how long I've been pounding on her apartment door. Probably not too long. But why isn't she answering? This is important! I need to talk to her. Plus I don't think her neighbors will take to kindly to being woken in the middle of the night by incessant pounding and yelling. If anyone walks out into the hallway right now I would probably be arrested for domestic abuse.

I start pounding harder. "Hilary! Open up!"

Just as I'm about to give the door another beating, it swings open and reveals the person I came all the way to see. "Rei! What's wrong? What's…"

I don't know why, but just seeing Hilary has brought me to tears. Maybe it's from relief to finally see her after everything that has happened. Or maybe it's from realizing that I have to tell her everything that has happened thereby replaying the events all over again. Either way the tears keep coming. I shut my eyes tightly to stop the tears from falling. God, I'm such a baby.

I feel her soft hands take hold of mine as she gently leads me into her apartment. After the door clicks shut behind me Hilary wraps her arms around my mid-section and rubs my back. "Rei, is it Kai?"

I wipe at my eyes and nod. "Rei, first, I have to tell you something."

I need to tell Hilary. Then she can help me like she always does. But right now I don't see how she can possibly help. It's done. It's all over. Kai doesn't love me. All of those years that I've wasted admiring him from afar. I blinded myself with hope that he would actually…

"God, he's such an asshole!" The anger that I've been feeling makes it way out. I step out of her hold, not because I don't enjoy the comfort, but because I don't want to knock her out while I wave my arms around in my violent rage.

"Do you know what the hell he did to me?" I smack my chest hard to emphasize who "me" is in case she, you know, can't tell.

"Rei! Calm down! I have to tell you-"

"I kissed him and he pushed me away!" I run my hands furiously through my hair a few times. I _kissed_ him! And…

"And I told him… I told him that I love him…" The sting of fresh tears causes me to hiss. I feel like such an idiot! "I told him I love him and you want to know what he said?"

Hilary jumps slightly as I turn to face her in my hysteric state. "Rei, stop for a sec-"

"He said that he is too good for me! Yeah! That asshole!" I pace around for a bit as fresh tears fall down my face. I can feel the adrenaline that I was so pumped from earlier start to fade.

"That stupid… stupid asshole… God…" I cover my face with my hands and lean my back against the wall. After a moment I feel Hilary's hands on my arms. She was probably making sure I had calmed down before she approached. I don't blame her. I probably look like a hungry lion who just had his meat taken away. Or Tyson who had his fifth hamburger taken away.

Hilary pulls my hands away from my face gently and forces me to look at her. I can see now the tears that are falling down from her eyes as well. They trail down her smooth cheeks before curving around her loving smile. She wipes my face with her thumbs before getting onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on my forehead. "It's going to be okay Rei."

My only answer for her is a sniff and a hiccup.

"Hey bud. Are you okay?"

…

That is not a voice I expected to hear. Hilary purses her lips and steps back for me to get a look at the other occupant in the room.

Excuse me, _occupants_.

Tyson and Max are standing in the doorway to the sleeping area with sheepish smiles on their faces. I turn my eyes to the floor and shift my weight a couple of times before looking at Tyson first.

"So… How much did you hear?" Stupid question. I came in screaming like a banshee who stubbed her toe. An old woman in the next building over could have heard me word-for-word if her hearing aid was cranked up to six.

"Don't worry Rei." Max is the one who answers. He steps up to me and places both of his hands on my shoulders. "We heard every word!"

Thanks Max. I turn to Hilary who has just finished wiping the tears from her face. She meets my eyes before folding her arms and shrugging. "I tried to tell you."

"Listen Rei." Tyson wraps his arm around my shoulders and gives a firm shake. "You're still our friend no matter what! We aren't going to let anything get in between us!"

Max joins us and wraps his arms tightly around my waist while nuzzling my chest. "We'll always be friends Rei." His words are slightly muffled from the fabric of my shirt.

Tyson makes a fist and pumps it in the air a couple of times. "We're not going to turn our backs on you even if you are…. Um…"

"Gay?"

"That!"

He pumps his fist some more with a bit too much enthusiasm. Another squeeze from Max brings my attention back to him. His face is now completely buried in my shirt and I can feel him smiling through the fabric. Maybe this is why I've never gotten a pet cat. I have Max. I wrap my arms around him as a smile sneaks onto my face. New tears are forming in my eyes but for a different reason. I blink them away quickly and turn to Tyson.

"Thanks guys. That means a lot to me."

Tyson takes a stance similar to Captain Morgan and laughs. He then continues into a speech about friendship. Something about how it is only true friendship if someone let's the other hold his something while they cross a whatever. Tyson's ego has inflated by ten points. That's all you need to know.

Hilary clears her throat and pulls Max away from me gently. His bangs are now ruffled making him look even more pet-worthy. "So, now that everyone here is up-to-date, let's talk about what happened while we continue our previous activity." She smiles sweetly and begins to push Max back into the sleeping area.

Previous activity?

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"So this is what you guys were doing?" A sudden smack to the top of my head causes me to sit up and rub the sore spot. I turn and glare dangers at Hilary. She sends them right back with a few of her own.

"No talking Rei! You'll ruin the mask."

Apparently, before I arrived, Max and Tyson came by because they had promised Hilary some "girl time." Why Max and Tyson you ask? Because Hilary thinks that girls are annoying pigeons (we share this view) and refuses to associate with most of them. This is why she agreed to leave her fancy all women's college up north to work for Kai. She's starting at Meiji University in the spring.

So about "girl time." Hilary explained that her lack of female company has left her with a need to do girly things with her friends. All of her friends are male. So, she convinced Max and Tyson that they should repay her for all of the years that she offered her assistance, like copying her homework. This is why we are currently lying horizontally on her bed with hair bands holding our hair back and cream masks drying on our faces.

Hilary is a very persuasive woman.

"You have to let the masks sit for at least 15 minutes. Now, while you all are drying, I'm going to go do my own mask." She gathers all of the supplies she had used on us and heads into her bathroom.

Max, Tyson and I all watch her as she steps into the small room, turns on the light, sets down her supplies and closes the door. We wait a moment to make sure she isn't coming back out. As soon as we hear the sink running, we all stretch-out our faces sufficiently ruining the partially dried masks. Much better.

"So Rei," Max turns his head to me and speaks in a hushed voice. He looks so funny with that white stuff all over his face. "I was wondering about what you were- stop laughing!"

I can't help it! He looks like a girl! I see Tyson sit up from behind Max trying to figure out what is so funny. After my last few giggles subside I look back at Max and urge him to continue.

"I was wondering about what you planned to do about Kai." This catches Tyson's attention and he leans over Max to get into the conversation. Honestly, it's still a touchy subject for me. It happened just earlier today after all. But I really do need to figure out what is going to happen in the future. I turn my head back to the ceiling while I contemplate my options.

"The way I see it, I have three options."

The sound of the bathroom door opening causes us all to jump. We return to our previous positions as Hilary makes her way past us to grab a towel. She hasn't even put the mask on yet. It looks like she was taking off her make-up the whole time.

I can see Tyson's white blob of a face turn to look at Hilary. "Hey Hilary, why do your eyes look smaller?"

You should never say this to a woman of Asian decent, no matter how small their eyes are.

It takes about a second for Hilary to turn that towel into a whip. It also takes about 0.3 seconds for that whip to come into contact with Tyson's head. Even in his pained state he is trying his hardest not to make a sound for fear of further punishment. Max and I both stifle our laughs long enough for Hilary to return to the bathroom and close the door.

"So, option 1?" Max turns back to me as Tyson's muffled whines become less frequent. It has become common practice to not aid Tyson after one of Hilary's attacks. It's pretty much a rule. Similar to how countries usually stay out of wars unless they are directly threatened. If Hilary's missiles aren't aimed for you, you're golden.

"Option 1 being that I quit working for Kai and move on." As soon as those words leave my lips I regret them. Max's eyes are now full to the brim with unshed tears. Seeing Max's sky-blue doe eyes filled with tears could make Boris change his ways. If he wanted to, Max could get Tyson, Gary, and Rick to share their food with a only a few well-placed tears.

"You're not really going to leave us are you?"

I let out a sigh and give Max (what I hope is) a reassuring smile. "Ok, I have 2 options." His tears magically disappear and he turns back to the ceiling. Just as I am about to continue with my 2 options, Tyson's voice reaches our ears.

"Cause baby you're a-"

"Tyson…"

"FIREWORK!"

The bathroom door opens with a bang and Hilary's partially painted face juts into the room. "Tyson! I swear!"

That's all it takes for Tyson to pull the blankets over his head in fear. Max and I wait for Hilary to close the door again before we continue our conversation. I can still hear Tyson's muffled singing underneath the blanket. Hopefully, for the sake of all our ears, it stays muffled.

"So anyway, option 1?" I run the two choices I have in my head. I'm not sure which one I should tell him first. Probably the one that will leave less of an impression.

"Option 1: I continue to work for Kai and don't give up on him." Max nods his head once in understanding. He stays quiet for a moment to think over what I've said. While he does that I can hear Tyson's rendition of "Party in the U.S.A." under the covers. You thought Miley Cyrus was bad? You haven't heard Tyson's Japanese accent trying to sing it. Max needs to stop letting Tyson use his ipod.

"Option 2?" It takes me a moment to return my focus completing to Max again. The fact that Tyson knows so many Miley Cyrus songs is a bit disturbing. "Option 2 is I continue to work for Kai but forget about him," why does that hurt so much to say? "and find someone new."

I was right. This option left the biggest impression on Max. He turns to me with doubt in his eyes. Earlier tonight I had told everyone just how long I have been chasing after our captain. Max was the only one out of the three who didn't think I had wasted my time on him. Tyson thought I should "build a bridge and get over him." Hilary was more subtle by saying I should "take my problems and dump them off a cliff." It doesn't take a genius to figure out who she was referring to as the "problems." Max didn't say anything to this, but it was easy to figure out what he was thinking. He has a history of being a hopeless romantic. "If that's what will make you happy, Rei."

"Option 1 is a bit of a stretch anyway." I force out a chuckle to lighten my negativity, but it doesn't do much. Max fiddles with the corner of a stray pillow, he looks to be in thought. Suddenly, he turns back to me with a smile on his face. "Now, if we could just find someone for you…"

Oh yeah, I kind of left out those details.

"Actually, I have met someone." His eyes go wide for a moment and Tyson takes a break from butchering more songs to shout out a "You go tiger!" Max's smile widens. "You're going to have to run him by me and Tyson, you know. We know what's best for you!"

I roll my eyes at this. "Yes mama." He shoves me lightly for implying that he is the "female" between him and Tyson. Suddenly, Tyson's singing volume increases and I can now make out some ridiculous lyrics. I can't tell if he is singing about sex or food. Max and I erupt into laughter.

"What is he singing?" Max withstands the onslaught of giggles long enough to explain. "He had gotten a hold of my dad's old funk records a while back. We still can't find where he hid them."

Something like this would happen. After a few more seconds of Tyson's bellowing in his imitation of a heavyset African-American funk singer, Max and I are laughing wholeheartedly now. My stomach hurts and it's safe the say that the cracked mask on our faces are now ineffective. I'm pretty sure Hilary can hear us perfectly, but at this point I really don't care.

The click of the bathroom lock sounds like a gunshot and all three of us silence our laughing to the best of our abilities (pretty damn well actually). Max is still giggling slightly and you can feel Tyson dancing to the music in his head.

The bathroom door swings open quickly. Hilary's now pasty white face is looking out at us. Her eyes are narrowed as she observes the scene. "You all seem to be having fun."

No one answers. She walks over to her vanity across from the bed. While she is searching through her endless supply of beauty products I can feel Tyson's movements become more erratic. Tyson, don't do it…

"I've got jam in my legs…"

Shit.

"… and I'm ready to spread."

…

"Pffffft!" The room is once again filled with our laughing. That is until Hilary whacks each of us with her towel. At this point anything is hilarious, so we continue laughing harder. Suddenly, Tyson begins to retaliate with his pillow. Max joins in but goes after Tyson instead. We have automatically split into teams pinning Max and me against Tyson and Hilary. This pillow fight becomes an all-out war with pillows and fuzzy animals flying across the room. All the while, playful shouts and laughing fill the room.

I know my problems aren't solved. I know I have to wake up tomorrow morning and face it all again. But for a moment I forget everything. For a moment I forget _someone._

For a moment, I am just fine.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

_Next Chapter: Rei's first date with Matthew, and what the hell is up with Tala?_

_I hope this chapter didn't disappoint, it was supposed to be sweet happy friend time lol anyway, see you next week hopefully~_


	16. Ice Cream

_So, it's Friday today (yesterday) for me and Saturday tomorrow (today) for you guys cause i have a speech contest tomorrow (today) and need to write this out today (yesterday) since i wont have time tomorrow (today). Confused yet?_

_The only reason i'm doing this contest is if i get into the top 7 i won't have to take the final exam for my communications class! WANT SO MUCH!_

_Anyway, here is Chapter 16~ lots happening, and it still has a lower word count than some of the other chapters lol ENJOY^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1 _**

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

I wonder what Kai is doing…

… "_Rei."_

I wonder if he feels sorry for what he did.

… "Rei."

Yeah right, he probably forgot the whole thing.

"Um, Rei?"

If he were here right now I would shove this fork right up his…

"Rei!"

I snap out of my fantasy of Kai running around with silverware up his tailpipe. Dark eyes are staring back into mine. Matthew looks concerned but his smile is still present. Shit. This is the third time I've spaced out on this date. By now Matthew has probably noticed something is wrong but I know he wouldn't pry into my personal business.

He called me up and invited me to have lunch with him at this French restaurant. I was happy to have a distraction so that I wouldn't think about Kai. But it's not a good enough distraction. I can't get that asshole out of my head! I just can't help thinking that it's Kai I want to be sitting across from me, holding my hand, stroking my cheek… Matthew's a really touchy feely guy.

"Are you okay?" How is it that I'm on a date with a gorgeous guy who cares about me at a fabulous restaurant and I'm _still_ miserable? Nevertheless, I give him a small smile.

"I'm fine, really."

"It's not the food is it?" No, I love this chicken or pork that you ordered for me. It tastes like meat that has been thoroughly cooked, so it's all good. Honestly, I haven't thought about the food at all.

I shake my head no and the conversation steers to other subjects. Sadly, no matter what comes up in conversation I somehow manage to relate it back to Kai. When Matthew mentioned his pet canary it made me think of Dranzer which made me think of Kai. When we started talking about how Matthew's mother is from Europe it made me think of Russia which made me think of Kai. By the time our desserts arrive I have thought of Kai a grand total of 42 times. This chocolate raspberry cake is good. It's very rich and delicious… okay, 43 times.

The conversation has died down a bit as I concentrate on my dessert. Matthew has only ordered a cappuccino. Without any conversation to keep my mind occupied I start to think about Kai again. Dammit.

"You're so beautiful."

Did my cake just talk to me? Is it a "complimentary" cake? Yeah, bad joke. I look up at the only other occupant at the table. Matthew is eyeing me intently with a large smile on his face. Whenever he looks at me like that I can't help but feel a bit self-conscious. I look back down at the last bite of my cake and shovel it into my mouth quickly.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed." My eyes widen over my still full mouth. I shake my head at the comment as my face heats up. His larger hand returns to mine and he strokes it sweetly. I look up to meet his eyes and all I can see in them is me. "I don't think you understand how happy I am that you're here with me."

I gulp down my bite loudly as my voice has pretty much abandoned me. I don't know how to respond to any of this. I've never felt so adored. I can't hide my smile as I hold his hand in return. I'm happy, too. I really am. He's a great guy. If I'm going to forget about Kai then I think Matthew is the guy to move on with.

So why does it feel so wrong?

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Good morning Kai."

"Good morning."

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the level that my relationship with Kai has come so far to achieve. After all that has happened between the two of us we have been reduced to formalities and nothing more. I talk to him if the job requires it. Other than that I'm lucky if I get a "bless you" when I sneeze.

I hang up my coat and bag as per usual and pull out my blackberry. Today's schedule is two meetings with clients to talk about future collaborations followed by routine check-ins with the stores. Not a bad day. Should go by rather smoothly. At least until…

"Here kitty, kitty."

Bryan shows up. I send him a glare over my shoulder before pocketing my blackberry. Tala enters the room after Bryan and heads straight for his desk. "Kai, U menya yest dokumenty." Kai nods at this but says nothing else.

I jump when something in my pocket vibrates. I reach both hands in each pocket to grab my phone and blackberry. It's my phone and it's a text. From Matthew. I smile at this and open the message.

"_Rei, I have to cancel our date for tomorrow but I will make it up to you! ^3^" _He is so considerate.

Suddenly, my phone disappears completely. What the hell? "Oh, is this that Satou guy from Men's Egg?" I turn around to see that Bryan has snatched my phone and is reading the message!

"Rei, I have to cancel our night of shameless passion for-"

"Bryan! That's not what it says!" I jump to try and reach my phone that he is now holding over his head. All futile attempts. "Give it back!"

Bryan doesn't give it back. Instead, he wraps the arm holding my phone around my back and grabs my chin with his free hand. This is way too close for comfort. Unfortunately, the only personal space Bryan cares about is his own.

"So, the kitten likes models."

What a pretentious ass-hat! I don't know what comes over me but it feels like a surge of testosterone rushes to my brain. I'm probably going to regret this later.

"Only good-looking ones. Guess you're out of luck."

I see rage flash in Bryan's eyes before he shoves me back hard to fall on my ass. A painful thump on my stomach lets me know that he has returned my phone. The angered Russian kneels in front of me and grasps my collar tightly. He draws his other fist back. Three guesses where he's aiming. "You fucking chink…"

Before his knuckles make contact, however, another hand shoots out and grabs his wrist.

"That's enough, Bryan."

For a moment no one moves. Kai and Bryan stare each other down before Bryan jerks his arm away from Kai and releases my shirt. Tala walks over to the two calmly and hands a couple papers to Bryan. "Poiti i uspokoit."

Bryan looks between Tala and the papers in his hand a couple times before he snatches them and storms out of the room. Kai massages the bridge of his nose for a second before he checks his watch. "The first client will be here soon."

I stand up from the floor and return my phone to my pocket. I'll answer Matthew later. As I head to take my position next to the door a hand grasps my shoulder. I don't have to turn to know whose hand it is. Tala doesn't like touching people.

"Rei, I don't want you dating Satou."

Wait, what? I turn to face Kai. He is dead serious. "What are you talking about?"

I'm starting to suspect that Kai has some control issues. I may work for him but he has no say in who I choose to date. Matthew doesn't even work here! "Rei, I've known him for a while. He's no good-"

"Then why don't you send him a breakup letter for me?" Oops.

That did it. Kai's eyes narrow dangerously. Something flashes in them for a second but it's too quick to catch. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Kai… I didn't mean-"

"Whatever."

And with that he turns and heads for his desk. Before I can rectify the situation, however, a knock at the door signals the arrival of our first client.

I hope they can't feel the tension.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Tala, I need the statistics on predicted sales for the year if the collaboration goes through. Rei, take down the clothes and return them to the stores when you can. Bryan… feet off the coffee table."

This is how it has been all day. Everybody working hard (except Bryan). The second client has just left so the rest of the day is spent planning future projects and the like. I get told what to do so I have it easy. I walk over to the mannequins set out for collaborating purposes and start undressing them. A sudden sensation overtakes me. It feels like an icicle being dragged across my back. Tala must have walked by.

"Kai, I have the statistics." Out of curiosity, I turn slightly to watch the two out of the corner of my eye. Kai takes the paper from Tala and looks over it quickly. Tala starts to walk away until Kai lets out a hard sigh. "Tala, vodka vodka vodka. You didn't account for the seasonal shifts vodka vodka vodka."

Tala turns to glare at Kai before snatching the paper back. I snap back to the mannequins I'm undressing. The last thing I want to do is get between Kai and Tala, especially with the day we've been having.

I get down to the last mannequin before Tala passes by me again with a different sheet of paper. Even though he looks calm he slams the paper onto Kai's desk with force. Kai doesn't even blink but the noise makes me jump out of my skin. Kai lifts up the paper and looks it over quickly. He seems to be satisfied with it, until his eyes catch something in the print and he skims over it a few more times. He looks back at Tala and says something in Russian.

Tala says something back. He's speaking quickly so it's obvious that he's irritated. Suddenly, Kai cuts him off. He talks for a bit and has probably said something that Tala doesn't like. I say this because Tala snaps at Kai and he sounds a lot angrier. Kai brushes him off and places the paper to the side with the final word. End of discussion.

"Fuck you Hiwatari!" Never mind.

Kai turns fierce eyes to look straight into Tala's icy ones. Tala continues to speak in a quick and angry manner. During his speech, Kai will sometimes raise an eyebrow or shift his weight in his chair depending on his level of dislike for whatever Tala is saying. The rage fest is so intense that even Bryan has taken the time and energy to turn his head and watch. I can't see his face so I don't know how he's reacting to the situation.

Tala's rage goes on for a few more seconds (it feels like minutes) before Kai seems to straighten at something he has said. He leans forward on his desk and stares Tala down.

"So what's keeping you here?"

Wait, what's going on? Did Kai say the magic word? A second ago Tala was screaming enough to make reality television seem tame . Now he's dead quiet. Bryan finally stands and says something but he is cut off by a hand from Kai.

Kai eyes Tala for a moment longer before Tala's blank stare turns into another glare. He stomps pass me so quickly that I feel a back draft. I turn to Kai, but he has returned to his work. I look to the only other person in the room. Bryan's eyes are on Tala. His brows are furrowed together and his expression is… hard to describe. I've never seen him look like this before, and it makes me uncomfortable for some reason. His lavender eyes catch me staring and his head snaps in my direction. He sends a quick glare and heads for Tala's desk.

"Tala-"

"Save it." Tala says some things in Russian but in his current state he is fluctuating between his mother language and Japanese (and maybe even French or German). The parts that I am able to catch fall along the lines of "If he thinks he can do this without me *back to Russian*" and "asshole can go *blankity blank* himself." The last thing I can catch, however, is what strikes me the hardest.

"I quit."

What the shit taco just happened? I turn to Kai to see if he heard. Well, of course he heard. I think Beethoven would have been able to hear Tala screaming. Kai just doesn't care. He's carrying on with his business like his right-hand man and ex-teammate isn't about to walk out on him.

Thinking quickly I march over to Kai's desk. My presence grabs his attention which I use to my advantage. I can get right to the point. "Kai do something!"

"Do _what_ exactly?" Those crimson orbs hit me like one of Bryan's fists. I'm forced back an inch by the intensity. I have to draw a shaky breath before answering. "Tala is leaving! Tell him you didn't mean whatever you said! Tell him something!"

"Why should I?" Damn, I never thought I would ever not want Kai to look at me. It's that look he's giving me: it's too intense! "He wants to leave so why should I stop him?" Those fiery orbs finally look away as he puts down his work and stands.

By now Tala has gathered all of his personal items and is packing away the last of them. All the while I can see Bryan talking to him, but Tala doesn't seem to hear any of it. I turn back to Kai who is filing papers away into his desk. "Kai, you can stop him, I know you can. If you would just tell him that-"

_Bam!_

Everything in the office comes to a standstill. I guess Kai has had enough of my blabbering and found that the best way to shut me up was to slam one of the drawers of his desk. Rather forcefully mind you. From where I'm standing I can see the front of it peeking out from behind the desk where it is currently hanging broken. Kai's eyes fall on me again, or rather they look like they have. But a trained eye can see that he is looking just past the side of my head at the redhead standing by the door.

"If he wants to leave that's his decision. I'm not wasting my breath to change his mind."

The sound of the door opening draws my attention and I turn just in time to see Tala's back as he heads out of the office. Bryan is pulling his coat on as he too heads for the door at a brisk pace.

"Bryan." At the sound of his ex-captain's voice, the violent Russian stops. He doesn't meet Kai's eyes but he's waiting for him to continue. "You're under contract."

Bryan doesn't respond for a moment. Then he raises his head slightly before giving a curt nod. With that he follows the redhead out of the office. The door falls closed quietly.

"Kai, how could you let that happen?" He doesn't respond. "You could have done something." Still no response. "We needed him."

Kai sits back into his chair before pulling his previous papers closer. "I don't need anybody, Rei." He looks over the pages but it doesn't seem like he's seeing what's printed on them. It looks like all of this stress is getting to him. After another minute of this he finally gives up and pushes the papers away. He leans back in his chair and massages the bridge of his nose with a pained expression.

"Kai, you do need him-"

"Rei, go home. You're done here."

A constricting feeling fills my chest. Kai has never told me to go home. Even on his worst days. No matter how bad I mess up he always says something like "I'll see you on Monday" but never a "go home." I don't know how to respond so I do the one thing I can think of.

I grab my stuff hanging on the wall and head for the door.

My hand pauses on the knob, however, and I spare another look at my boss. The sight that meets my eyes is unexpected. Kai is still sitting, but no longer massaging a headache. He's staring… at Tala's desk. The look in his eyes is what does me in. They're filled with regret and remorse. As if he has just lost someone very important to him… Oh my god.

The constricting feeling in my chest returns even stronger than before. I'm an idiot. How did I not see this before? Kai didn't return my feelings because he doesn't love me…

And he loves someone else.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Cheer up Rei!" Okay! I'm so glad you said that Max. I don't know what I was thinking, being all depressed like I was. How stupid of me. Are you catching the sarcasm yet?

"No offense Max, but that doesn't help." To this, Max simply shrugs and laughs off his blunder.

We're in a new restaurant that opened up in Machida. It's pretty swanky, and Max and myself had to go a week without eating out in order to afford just sitting here. The building is large and we're sitting in the upper level. We are working our way through our lunch and let me tell you, this place is worth every Fukazawa* I throw at it.

If you hadn't notice yet, Tyson isn't here. It's not that we don't love him. But we figured that if we wanted to throw away all this money for food we should be able to _eat_ said food. And no, Tyson doesn't know we planned this.

"Look at it this way. You have Matthew now! He's a great guy and he treats you way better than Kai ever did." True. But he's not Kai. I want Kai. "You can't force him to love you, especially when he already has someone in mind. There's no point in being second best." Second, third… fifty-sixth! I'm happy with any place as long as it's Kai.

When did I get so desperate? Maybe I really need to move on.

"You're right Max." I play idly with my fork, seeing as my plate is now empty. "It's just going to be hard."

"You know what's not hard?" Hugh Hefner without his blue pill? "Ice cream."

"Ice cream?"

Max laughs at my confusion. He wipes his mouth with his cloth napkin before setting it down by his empty plate. "It's my treat. Just desert though. I'm not paying twice as much as I ate. My life isn't worth that much."

I laugh with him about our crying wallets. Oops, I guess I laughed a little too hard, and drank a bit too much water. "Thanks Max. I'm going run to the bathroom for a bit and then we can order."

As I get up to leave Max says something along the lines of "I'll be digesting." Good to know Max.

I head around the landing toward the bathroom. From here you can see the entrance on the first floor and most of the tables. It's pretty crowded for being an overpriced franchise, but it is lunch time. Nothing is really interesting about looking down at the crowd, other than the fact that I'm on the second floor looking down.

Red.

Flaming red.

It's Tala! What's he doing here? He's sitting at a table near the hostess stand. He is also sitting pretty rigid. But then again, Tala has always had posture like a robot. And he's not alone.

I can't tell who is sitting across from him from where I'm standing. Quickly, I move along the railing past my initial destination, the bathroom. I manage to nearly topple a couple waiters and disturb an elderly couple that was deep in conversation. I'm sure they didn't appreciate my crotch near their midday meal. I don't care. I've finally found a better vantage point to where I can see… no way!

Matthew?

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_*Fukuzawa: the guy on the 10,000 yen bill (about 100 USD)_

_Next Chapter: Something is up with Tala and Matthew and that's not the only surprise._

_God willing next week goes at a moderate speed xP see you then yeah?_


	17. Pudding

_Saturday~! OMG i never expected this story to go by so quickly T^T after this there is only **3 left**! i can't wait to upload chapter 18 though because when i do FINAL EXAMS WILL BE OVER! :D can't wait!_

_thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing! i really appreciate it^^ i will be better about replying after this week T^T _

_I'm a bit embarrassed to upload this chapter... maybe because of the last part haha well enjoy^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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… It can't be.

… it is.

… maybe he has a twin?

Fat chance Rei. That is definitely Matthew. And that is definitely Tala sitting across from him. Last time I checked, finding the person you're dating having lunch with another who is considerably better looking than you can lead to relationship difficulties.

But it doesn't look like any date I've ever seen. If it is a date that is. But it looks too… professional? Tala is sitting just a bit too proper and Matthew isn't even looking at him. He's looking at a couple papers on the table in front of him. So what are they doing?

Suddenly, Matthew stands and collects the papers under his arm along with his bag. Tala stands also and they shake hands briefly before Matthew heads for the entrance. Before he exits, he stops by the hostess and tells her something quickly. Then he's gone.

Tala is still at the table collecting his things at a leisurely pace. This anxiety is killing. Why did they meet up here? And what were those papers for? Why Tala? I can't believe I'm saying this but…

I need to talk to Tala.

I make my way as fast as I can to the stairs. This time I successfully avoid knocking into a few people along the way. By the time I reach the first floor, however, Tala is already out the door. In a quick burst, I push past a large group of old farts who had decided that now was the absolute _best_ time for them to leave all at once. Damn, I lost sight of Tala. And now some old guy is yelling at me and calling me a rude whippersnapper.

I throw a few random apologize as I fight my way to the entrance. Once outside of the restaurant I turn this way and that to try and spot the elusive Russian. However, the afternoon crowd is making this task a bit difficult. Okay, think Rei. Tala is a pretty flashy guy so he shouldn't be too difficult to spot. Just look for the flaming red in the sea of black.

Bingo!

"Tala!" Nope, he's too far. Need to get closer. Damn you Japanese and your love for crowded places. After another minute of fighting I've managed to get a bit closer now. I had to trade in some of my dignity along the way, however. I'm pretty sure that old lady wasn't winking because the sun was in her eye. If there is a righteous God in heaven, I will never see her again.

"Tala!"

That did it. Said Russian bastard finally stops and turns to my direction. How is it that there is a 3ft radius around Tala in this ridiculous crowd? People are seriously climbing on top of each other to avoid getting too close to him.

It takes Tala about a second to realize who has called his attention. I know he sees me… because he just turned away and has continued walking. "Dammit Tala!"

I find a gap in the crowd. Perfect! I push between a, now very irritated, couple and use the acquired space to rush through the crowd after that prick. "Tala wait!"

"What do you want, Kon?" He finally stopped, but now I know why everyone has been avoiding him. That icy glare he is giving me is making me rethink this whole plan. But I need to know what's going on.

"Why were you meeting with Matthew?" His glare falters for a second, only a second. Then he turns and starts walking again!

"Tala, wait!" I risk my life and limb (left arm to be exact) by latching onto his shoulder. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!"

I momentarily lose balance when Tala throws off my arm and sets his icy glare on me once again. "It wasn't a date if that's what you're implying."

He folds his arms defiantly as if waiting for a remark. I don't have any. Even if it was a date, I don't think I would have been upset. Not as upset as I was over Kai, anyway.

"Oh, so… what was it?… Tala, get back here!"

He doesn't listen so I jog up to walk next to him. Now I know his legs are longer than mine, too. I have to power walk to keep up with his pace. "Why were you meeting with Matthew? I doubt that you just ran into him and decided to have a cup of-"

"Interview."

"Interview?" I stop abruptly due to my lack of understanding. I'm one of those people who can't walk and think at the same time. Someone could get hurt. Tala stops a few paces ahead of me. He's standing by a sign, a taxi stop. "A… job interview?"

That still doesn't explain why he was meeting with Matthew though. He's just a model… right? Is there something he hasn't told me? Has he been lying to me? I'm brought out of my musings as a bright yellow taxi pulls to a stop in front of Tala. Said Russian opens the back door and gets in casually. Oh no you don't.

I grasp the door handle just as Tala is about to pull it closed. I pull it open completely and stick my head into the cab. "Tala, you can't get another job!"

"Who the fuck are you telling me-"

"Listen!" His blue eyes widen considerably at my assertive nature. Where did that come from anyway?

"Kai, he… he needs you. More than you think. I can't tell you why, but all I can tell you is that he will be miserable without you. And if you care about him at all, you'll go back and work for him. He just… _needs_ you."

This is really hard to explain. I don't want to tell Tala that Kai is head over heels in love with him. But I need to get the point across that, well, Kai is head over heels in love with him! Not to mention the fact that I wish Kai was head over heels in love with me, but that ship has sailed. I'm doing this because I love Kai. If Tala is the one who makes him happy, then so be it.

"Kai _needs_ a lot of people Kon." His pale hand moves to take hold of the door once again. Now I see that sticking my head into the cab was a bad move considering the fact that Tala is the one in the cab. If he wanted to, he could easily crush my skull with one pull. I wouldn't put it past him. "He should start with a psychiatrist."

I am barely able to jump out of the danger zone as Tala slams the door shut with vigor. I can only watch as the cab pulls away from the sidewalk and onto the busy street. As I lose sight of the vehicle in the motorized sea, a new determination overtakes me. Maybe it's my undying love for Kai, or maybe it's the fact that Tala pisses me off to no extent. Whatever it is…

I'm getting those two together if it's the last thing I do!

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"No way!" I pull on my jacket with a bit of difficulty as I am also balancing my phone on my shoulder. "He really had lunch with Matthew?"

"I couldn't believe it either Hilary, but that's what happened." Come on. You didn't really expect me to _not_ tell Hilary about this did you? For shame.

I have a date with Matthew in about an hour, but I needed to talk to Hilary first. I want to ask him about his lunch with Tala. Unfortunately, running up to him while screaming and accusing him of being a lying bastard is not always the best method. I need womanly advice.

I couldn't call Hilary right after the incident, however, because she was in Hokkaido closing a deal until yesterday. I called her as soon as I woke up. Then we hung up for a bit so that I could shower. I called her back right after and we have been on the phone since. My phone bill is going to be interesting this month.

"It wasn't an actual date was it? I mean, Tala and Matthew?" I can hear her voice drawl out as if that was the nastiest pairing since Crusher and Gary. Note to self: never think of that again.

"Tala said it was a job interview." Hilary is silent for a second. I use this opportunity to switch to speaker phone so I can get my shoes on without falling over and cracking my head open resulting in blood all over my wood floors. I just mopped.

Hilary mumbles to herself for a bit before she actually speaks clearly. "A job interview for what? Does Matthew run something?"

I shrug before I realize that she can't see me. "I don't know, but that's what I wanted to find out today." I stand back up while taking the phone with me. As I step out of my apartment, Hilary offers me her advice. "Okay, but stay calm about it. Don't run up to him screaming and accusing him of being a lying bastard or something."

You know me so well.

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Give it up little girl. There is no way in hell I'm letting you win. You have no chance. I'm a world championship beyblader. I have the bitbeast Drigger. I was built on endurance. You might as well give it up now!

Hey, who turned out the lights? No, I was winning! Now that little brat thinks she just beat me! "Guess who?" Santa Claus.

"You know, you just made me lose my staring match." I turn to Matthew in mock anger as he removes his hands from my eyes returning my vision. He looks at me confused before looking at the only other occupants standing at the corner: A little girl and her mom.

"You challenged a 4-year-old to a staring contest?" You say that like it's weird or something.

"I think she's 5 and I was winning."

He laughs as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and turns me away from my prior opponent. I take this moment to look over my shoulder and send her a nasty face, deep frown and eyes skewed, the whole enchilada. She answers by jutting her small tongue at me. That was low.

"Rei, leave the 4-year-old-"

"5-year-old."

"_Child_ alone. I want to show you something." He looks absolutely giddy right now. Well, as giddy as a model can get. He is also leading me into this building that he asked me to meet him in front of. Machida Tokyu Twins, yet another one of Tokyu's department store branches. I've never really been to Machida. Except for that time when I went to eat with Max at that restaurant and I saw Tala…

Oh yeah.

"Wait, Matthew." I pull away from his arm so that I can look at him straight on. "There's something I need to ask you."

I pick at my nails as I try to think of the best way to phrase the question. Matthew laughs at my nervous habit and stops my fidgeting by taking both of my hands into his. Like I said before, _very_ touchy feely guy.

"Whatever it is, just ask me. You make me nervous when you get nervous." His face changes before he adds slyly. "But that's another thing that's cute about you."

Dammit, if you're seriously playing me, I would honestly start to question everything in this world. How can a guy like this possibly be a lying bastard? Well, by lying of course.

"Well, a couple days ago, I saw you here in Machida." His smile widens and his thumbs rub the back of my hands.

"Well, that's not-"

"You were having lunch with someone else… with Tala."

He hesitates. Dammit, that's not a good sign. Only guilty people hesitate. He breaks eye contact for a moment. "You saw that then."

I nod, but he doesn't continue. Keep talking! Explain yourself! Call me cute again! Something!

"Actually, I think it's better if I show you what that lunch was about. That's why I brought you here in the first place anyway." What?

Once again, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me into the department store. I can't really take in the interior of the building because my mind is too crowded right now. Is he taking me to a store? A store that he works at? Or owns? If he does own a store, then why does he want to show me?

In the middle of my contemplating, I just realized that we are in an elevator and have reached our floor. I know I can get lost in my thoughts sometimes (often), but that seemed like a really short elevator ride. Oh, it was. This is only the second floor.

Matthew leads me out and to the- this place is _huge!_ Oh yeah, he leads me out and to the right. We pass some kind of bag and shoe store. I get distracted by some of the shoes so I stumble when Matthew comes to a stop. "We're here!"

I look up at "here." This was what that lunch was about? It's just an advertisement. A big advertisement. A woman and a man are sitting in a chair together cuddling. The woman is holding a spoon and the man is holding a dish of pudding. The whole picture is pretty much blurred except for the lady's bracelet and the man's necklace. Big letters below the couple read "Opening in December!"

I look up at Matthew with a polite smile. "I like it." Can we go now?

He laughs before he points to a door hidden in the advertisement. "You didn't see _it_."

He takes my hand and leads me to the door. I could crack a joke right now about how the door is located precariously near the woman's "parts" but that would just be immature. Matthew pulls out his keys and unlocks the door. Instead of leading me inside, however, he pushes the door open and gestures for me to enter first. I do as he wishes and he follows close behind me.

It's dark. And Matthew has just shut the door so it is darker. I hear that buzzing sound of fluorescent lights before the entire ceiling is illuminated. Matthew returns to my side from where he was turning on the lights. "Well, what do you think?"

I take in my surroundings, an easy task as there isn't much to take in. There aren't any racks or mannequins. There are only display cases and blown-up pictures of models wearing diamonds. That tells me that this is only an accessory store. The whole interior has a bright design and the walls are mostly neutral shades. There are accents of chrome and black everywhere. A large plasma screen is located near the back and as my eyes move toward the front of the store I catch sight of a lit sign overhead.

4°C.

"It's beautiful." It's nothing like Kai's office, but it's got a certain something. A sudden warmth on my arm lets me know that Matthew has taken hold of me again. I turn to find him about an inch from my face.

"There's more."

He leads me to the back where there is only one lonely rack with two lonely hangers. There are also a few diamond accessories sitting on top of a display case.

"Take off your jacket and put this on." He hands me a plain white sweater. As I remove my jacket and pull on the sweater I realize that it is a bit too large. When Matthew goes to hand me a scarf, he too can see the massive size of this sweater.

"Ah, I guess it's a bit too big. No worries. It looks cute." He then takes the scarf and drapes it loosely around my neck. The scarf is an off-white color with shiny thread sewn into the fabric making it catch the light.

I turn to the mirror on my right and examine my appearance lazily. Then Matthew's reflection appears behind mine and I catch sight of something shiny in his hands. Diamonds, lots of diamonds. And he's placing them on me! The necklace has many thin layers and each layer holds around five to six diamonds of varying sizes.

"The reason why I brought you here Rei, is because I wanted to ask you something."

Sorry, we can only get married in Sweden. He places his hands on my shoulders and leans his head against mine. "I wanted you to work here, for me."

A small smile finds its way to my face and I meet his eyes in the mirror. "As a sales associate?"

"As a model."

What? I don't think I've seen my eyes this big ever. Matthew gives a throaty chuckle at my expression. His left hand pulls me closer while his right comes up to stroke my cheek idly. Our eyes meet in our reflection.

"You're far too beautiful to be stuck behind a register. Please… consider my offer."

Leave Silver Bullet and everyone there? But I can still see them on our off days. Look at Bryan, he has a day off every other day and he's a model! I've already learned so much. Maybe this is my chance to advance. I can finally work on my own, with a man who cares for me. Leave Kai and Tala…

No, not yet. I still need to make Kai happy. I can't leave knowing that I still had a sliver of a change. If he is taken then that settles it and I can leave.

"I will… come work for you." His face lights up in the mirror. Perfect time to burst his bubble. "On one condition."

His expression falters before the smile is back in place. I can feel him squeeze my shoulders a little bit tighter. "Anything."

I bring my hands up to hold his that are locked over my chest. "I still have something I need to take care of at Silver Bullet. When that's done, I'll come work for you."

He gives it a few seconds to sink in before he leans his head against mine. "I understand, Do what you have to, as long as you come to me in the end."

I nod against his arms and we stand in silence for a moment. He's probably thinking about what it's going to be like having me work for him. I'm thinking about how I'm going to go through with this.

A hand comes up under my chin and turns my head to meet dark eyes. "Do I get a reward for being the understanding boyfriend?" A kiss.

Surprisingly, I don't blush. I don't get bashful like I used to around him. I just give him a smile… just a smile. "Yeah."

Matthew leans forward as his eyes begin to fall shut. Just before I close my own, his dark eyes appear crimson. His blonde hair turns two different shades. His tan skin loses it's color and is replaced with a pale peach. A gentle hand is grazing the back of my neck. We are no longer standing in 4°C, but sitting on a desk in an office that looks like a night club. Soft petal lips meet mine…

But it's not the gentle kiss that I had received that night in Silver Bullet.

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_Next Chapter: Word gets out about Rei's model deal and even more trouble for Kai._

_I can't believe chapter 17 is already up~ thanks for reading! see you next week hopefully~_


	18. Yakisoba

_Saturday is finally here^^ but i am writing this out on Friday again xP friend has a graduation tomorrow morning~ oh yeah and_

_SEMESTER IS OVER! exams went well^^ passed accounting and that's all i care about hurr hurr xP_

_So anyway, there is a lot jammed into this chapter. we're getting really close to the end so i'm getting anxious xP **2 left! **please enjoy^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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"You don't know what you're talking about Max. The Hanshin Tigers are going the take the title for sure!"

"Really Tyson? Last time I checked, baseball was an _American_ pastime. I think I know a little more than you, and I say that the Giants are going all the way!"

This has been going for a while now. The conversation started off about where we should get snacks tomorrow. This was followed by whether takoyaki is really better in Osaka. All of that leads us to our current situation: Hanshin versus Giants. Since the topic shifted to sports, Hilary and I are just observers at this point. Personally, I care about baseball as much as I can throw a baseball… player.

"No way Max! Okonomiyaki is way better than yakisoba!"

How we got to this point, I don't know. But it's fun to watch all the same.

"Rei," Hilary takes my attention away from the playground brawl in front of me. "Can you help me set up over there?"

"Yeah, sure."

It is now time to change out inventory in JACKROSE. That means the employees have to take out the older items and put them on clearance while they stock the new items. The store is closed right now but all of the employees are here helping. Well, aside from Tyson and Max. They're just here. I believe that the pile of clothes they are "folding" has been sitting there for a good half hour.

I came by to help out set up from the goodness of my heart… Ok, not really. I came down to help as an excuse to get out of the office. Yeah, it has gotten that bad. You thought Bryan was an asshole before? You haven't seen him sans Tala. Without the redhead the Russian bastard is on my case all hours of our shift. Kai does what he can to fend him off, but with Tala gone there is more work for him. So he is stressed more than usual. All of this combined does not make for a happy Rei.

As Hilary and I walk to the opposite end of the store, Hilary snags a box from a small pile and I do the same. I follow her to a table and we dump the contents of the boxes onto it. As we start folding, I notice that Hilary isn't really saying anything. She is completely immersed in folding these shirts, as if it was the most important activity she had to do. She'll answer if I ask her something, but she won't keep the conversation going like she usually does. I wonder if something is wrong.

"Hilary."

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah."

Well, there you have it. "May I ask what it is?"

She slaps a folded shirt onto the glass surface of the table before grabbing another. Now I know that whatever is wrong has to do with yours truly. Hilary has this habit. If she's mad at a certain someone, and that certain someone talks to her, she avoids snapping at them by beating on miscellaneous objects. She will continue to beat on random objects until that person notices and rectifies the situation. You had to have been there when she got mad at Tyson during dinner at a restaurant. Our boneheaded world champion, if you haven't noticed, is boneheaded. Obviously, he was the only one who could not see that our lively brunette was absolutely livid. Our bill increased substantially due to the number of bent and broken, yes broken, silverware.

"I'll have you know, Rei, that it has been 75 hours and 42 minutes since you went on your date with Matthew, during which you were supposed to ask him about Tala's 'job interview.'" That shirt she is folding looks like it's about to rip. "In those 75 hours and now 43 minutes, you have not told me a _single_ detail of what occurred that night and you are supposed to tell me everything!" _Slap!_ Poor shirt.

"Hilary, it's not that I didn't want to tell you. I just didn't know how." I speak substantially softer than Hilary hoping that the surrounding employees will stop staring. Hilary plops another folded shirt on top of the others and turns to me with one hand on her hip. She is looking very much like my own mother right about now. At least she looks a bit more relaxed than she did a second ago.

"Rei, you know you can tell me anything, no matter how crazy it is!" I let out a breathe and stare down at the unfolded shirt in my hands. I don't know if she can imagine just how crazy this whole situation is. I grab another shirt and begin to fold hoping that she takes this as a sign to leave this conversation until later.

Nope. She is unrelenting and has not moved from her current position. I take a quick look around to make sure that no one is in our immediate vicinity before looking back at the shirt in my hands. "Okay, I'll tell you."

She nods quickly before grabbing another shirt, gently this time, and we continue folding like I'm not about to drop the biggest bomb since Hiroshima. I don't want to blow this situation out of proportion anymore than it absolutely needs to be. "Well, the reason why he asked me out that night… was because he wanted to show me something."

I wait for any sign of comprehension. A nod. "Well, I met him in Machida in front of Tokyu Twins."

Brown eyes shift to me quickly before focusing back on the shirts. Obviously, she knows where this is going. "He brought me into his store, 4°C-"

"Rei." I jump slightly at Hilary's harsh whisper. "Was it really 4°C?"

I give her a small nod. What's the big deal? It was just a small accessory store. I haven't even gotten to the big news! "Rei, that store has getting a lot of attention-"

"Kon!"

Now what? Never mind, I shouldn't have asked. The remaining Russian bastard is currently stampeding through JACKROSE and is headed straight for me. The smart employees are running for cover while Tyson and Max have finally stopped their debate. Maybe it's time that I start running.

"Just what are you playing at Kon?" Too late. Again. A large hand shoots out with lightning speed and grasps the front of my shirt. Damn that's tight. Lavender eyes pierce into mine as Bryan brings my face 2 inches from his. At least I think it's 2 inches. His grip is making it difficult to breathe. I am vaguely aware of delicate hands tugging at Bryan's mutated one. Hilary.

"Bryan! Pust' idet!" Kai. He's here. But I can't see him. I'm too busy recapping my childhood. I still haven't apologized to Mariah for calling her a poopy eater. I wonder if she'll mention that in her eulogy.

"Bryan! Put him down!" Those lavender eyes narrow further before I find myself on the floor. Had he really lifted me off my feet? Soft hands are patting my cheeks and checking my vital signs. The motherly cooing and occasional swearing at Bryan tells me that it's Hilary. Hey I can see people now! Oxygen really makes a difference.

A Russian shouting match continues between Kai and Bryan. Well, Bryan is doing all of the shouting. Kai sees no point in wasting his energy with yelling. His companions could learn a lesson or two from him. It's not long before the violent Russian throws his middle finger up in Kai's face and stomps out of the store. Kai takes it all in stride.

"Perhaps another method of informing your model would have been more sufficient." Wait, that voice. I shake my head to clear the last few traces of floaters from my vision. Disregarding Hilary's pleas, I do my best to stand. Just as I thought. Kai is walking over to where I have just gotten to my feet (with Hilary's assistance) and Matthew is following him. I don't know why but this makes me nervous. My stomach does a back flip in anticipation at what's to come, even though I have no idea what that is!

"Kai, what's going on?" Hilary is able to voice my thoughts before I am. The shock of having a Russian bull charge at your friend, however, has left her shaken. I can hear it in her voice.

I look from Kai to Matthew and back. I have no idea why Matthew is here, or why he is here with Kai. And for that matter, I have no idea why Bryan came at me so suddenly! I mean I did think about sticking a piece of gum in his hair when I was really pissed at him, but I didn't actually do it. Can he read minds, too?

Matthew, who has been smiling this entire time, steps forward and stands beside me. I feel him lean closer to my ear but my attention is completely on Kai. "Why don't you tell Mr. Hiwatari what we were talking about Rei?"

What we were talking about? What _were_ we talking about? The last conversation we had was about where we were going to eat on our next date. If that is what has everyone frazzled, I'm working with an emotional bunch. I look to Matthew who is still smiling.

"Tell him about what?" Matthew doesn't answer but Kai does.

"About how you have agreed to become the new model for 4°C."

Oh.

That.

A couple of things happen now. Kai's eyes narrow dangerously and his arms fold over his chest, the way they do when he wants an explanation. Hilary gasps at the information and is whispering questions in my ear, but I'll get to those later. Tyson and Max, who have moved closer to stand behind Kai, are voicing their surprise and talking animatedly with each other. The rest of the store has gone completely still and I can feel everyone's eyes on me.

Matthew's smile grows into a grin.

"Kai." why did I start talking? I don't know how to explain myself. "I was going to tell you…"

Kai's eyebrows go up, a sign that I not only have to explain why I took the deal, but why I didn't tell him. Can I dig a hole or what? Just when I'm about to, no doubt, worsen my position, a strong hand takes hold of my shoulder providing some reassurance. I look up to find Matthew, still smiling, but at Kai.

"Mr. Hiwatari, I'm sure Rei just wasn't sure exactly how to inform you of his decision." Close. I was planning on not informing him at all until I left. It might be best to let Matthew do all of the talking.

"If you don't mind Mr. Satou," whoa, Kai doesn't sound pleased. "I would like to talk to Rei about this. I've heard all I needed to hear from you." Kai has moved well past the point of irritated to downright spiteful. I can feel the venom dripping from his words.

Crimson eyes fall on me and suddenly I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Gently, I shake Matthew's arm off of my shoulder and step closer to Kai. When I am at our usual distance, about arms length away, I glance up to meet his eyes briefly.

"Well?" Strange, just a second ago he sounded like he was ready to bite Matthew's head clean from his neck. Now he sounds like he has had an entire week to calm down. That helps my current anxiety. Let's hope he's just as calm after I explain myself.

"Kai, it's not that I don't appreciate everything you have done for me, I really do. But I feel that you need an assistant who is competent 100% of the time, which I'm not. And I think this is a great opportunity for me to improve myself and take on new challenges. I wasn't planning to leave right away so that I had time to tell-"

"Take the offer." What?

Kai, did he really…? I look up to meet his eyes, but he's not looking at me. He's looking past my shoulder at nothing in particular. His face shows no emotion like always. He doesn't sound pissed or fazed by anything I just said. "Kai?"

"You're right. This will be a good opportunity for you. 4°C is a new and upcoming line so it will help you gain recognition." He still hasn't looked at me. It's unlike him. Whenever he talks to anyone, he looks at them directly. It's strange that I'm saying this, but I feel uneasy from him _not_ looking at me. More so than when he is.

"You can collect your things and leave as soon as you want. A replacement will not be difficult-"

"Kai there's something else. I wasn't planning to leave just yet." That's better. His crimson orbs are finally on me again. His brows are raised urging me to continue. "There is something I need to do. If I don't, then I can't leave peacefully."

His eyes study me for a moment. "And what would that be?"

"I… can't tell you."

He is silent for a moment, taking in what I just said. Then he nods faintly. "Very well."

"Thank you Kai, for understanding." We stand in a comfortable silence for a short moment. I can feel Kai's eyes on me while I find my tangled necklace important. Ok, not really. But now that we have finished talking, looking Kai straight on is kind of awkward. And now that I think about it, my necklace wasn't tangled earlier. That must have happened when Bryan came at me. Even when he's not here he finds way to irritate me. I get distracted with untangling the mess around my neck when a cool hand takes a hold of mine gently.

I look up to find Kai popping my personal bubble. He patiently bats my hands away and sets to work on my necklace, with a lot more success I might add. I watch his face as he concentrates. Then his eyes move up to meet mine and his face moves just that much closer. As he adjusts the necklace around my neck I can feel the slightest contact between our foreheads.

"Rei," his voice is barely a whisper. "I just need to know one thing."

I nod for him to continue as I search his eyes. I can still feel his hands on my necklace. His cool hands brush against my own flushed skin. My necklace is hanging perfectly by now, but still he holds on. "When you agreed to work for Satou, was it of your own freewill?"

I gaze into his eyes for a moment longer before answering. They hold no emotion. No anger or sadness. So why is he acting this way towards me? It's confusing. I know he loves Tala, he has to. So why is he doing this? Why now?

"Yes."

We stare into each other's eyes for a second longer before I feel his hands slide away from my neck. My gaze falters and effectively breaks the eye contact.

"_Ahem._" Matthew. Kai takes a step away from me and sends a hard look over my shoulder. I turn to see the smile has completely disappeared from Matthew's face. Probably from the display we just put on. Am I a bad person to say that I really don't care?

"Mr. Hiwatari, perhaps we should go for lunch while we discuss Rei's transfer to my company." Kai sends him a chilling glare before his lips curl into a smirk.

"Wonderful. I'll ask Bryan to join us." I had to bite my cheek to prevent myself from laughing. I can see Matthew stiffen from the suggestion. Kai turns from the rest of us to lead the way out of the store. Matthew moves to follow before he stops as if remembering something. Suddenly, he turns to me and leans down to place a peck on my cheek. I can feel my face turn red, not because of Matthew, but because everyone is staring.

I look up to see Kai stop and stare at this public display. His expression shifts quickly from surprised to outraged. Nevertheless, he turns and continues on his way, Matthew following quickly to keep up. A tightness forms in my chest as I watch him leave. I wanted Kai so badly to tell me that I couldn't go. I wanted him to tell me to forget about being a model.

I wanted him to tell me to stay.

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Where is everyone?

I'm not early. I'm actually almost 4 minutes late. My damn professor wanted to speak to me about giving a speech on Asian relations. I ran all the way from the train station for this? If I had known that everyone else was going to be late I would have taken my sweet ass time!

I came by the fifth floor to check-up on the stores here before heading up to the office. However, both JACKROSE and RHYDEAL have not even been opened. The metal gate hasn't even been lifted to let customers in. What the hell is going on?

_I'll back off so you can liveThat is all I can sayI'll forget you so you can live betterI'll back of so you can live_

I pull out my phone quickly. It's Hilary. Good, maybe she can tell me what's going on. "Yeah, Hilary. Do you know-"

"_Rei! You need to come to the office right away_." She is whispering but she sounds panicked. And I can hear people around her.

"Hilary, what's wrong?"

"_I can't explain, just…. Come up here as soon as you can_." A soft click tells me that she hung up. What the hell is going on?

I get into the elevator quickly. When I reach the 7th floor and hang a right into Silver Bullet I see pretty much the same scene as I saw on the 5th floor. It looks near deserted. The only difference is that Silver Bullet has opened and there are a couple employees standing around. They are speaking in hushed voices and they seem to be upset about something. As I walk past them their eyes fall on me… with contempt? I ignore their looks and trot up the ivory staircase quickly. Without thinking, I force the door open quickly, but it stops.

Holy crap! What are all of these people doing here? The door won't open all the way because it is completely packed! I shimmy through the small crack that the door will allow. The door shuts behind me almost instantly. Where is Kai? Where's Hilary? Where's anyone?

"Rei!" I follow the voice to find Hilary pushing past an employee from RHYDEAL. I meet her halfway as best as I can in this sea of people. No one is talking, but I am aware of a faint and unfamiliar voice near the couches.

"Hilary, what is going on?"

"Rei," she takes a breath before she continues, "this isn't good. Kai may lose his company."

"What?" A few of the surrounding employees jump at my outburst but otherwise continue to stand around. "Why? Where is he?"

I try my best to see past the countless amount of heads to find the one with two-toned hair. I feel Hilary's small hands take hold of my shoulders. Before she manages to pull me back down I catch sight of Max and Tyson near Tala's old desk. "Rei, the head of 109-2 is here. Word got out that Kai has been losing employees. The head committee is questioning his ability to run a business for 109-2."

This… did I have something to do with this? I did agree to transfer to 4°C but I haven't left yet. But Tala did… "Where's Kai?"

"He's at the couches with Mr. Otsuka." The head of 109-2. Again, I try to gain a height advantage to even get a glimpse of Kai. However, it's not Kai that I find. Bryan is standing near the couches. His lavender head is towering over much of the crowd. And my bouncing around has caught his attention. Shit.

As soon as his eyes fall on me he starts making his way through the crowd. He has an easy time with this since everyone is parting for him like he's Moses. I turn tail and try my best to fight my way back through the door. However, unlike Bryan, my physical being doesn't feed on the souls of toddlers, so I don't strike fear into the hearts of those in my way. Right now they see me as a nuisance rather than a threat. Dammit, just let me get to the door.

"Kon, come here." If ever I wanted to scream like a girl, it's now. But I don't have time to, because Bryan has already taken a hold of my arm and is pulling me back through the crowd from whence he came. I look to Hilary for help. Who am I kidding? Hilary can't help me and we both know that. All she can do is send me off with the mouthed words "I'm sorry" as I'm pulled farther away.

"Bryan, what are you doing?"

"Shut up."

Okay. We near the couches and I am now able to see the man who I assume is Mr. Otsuka. He is short, nearly bald, and has a brittle frame. He has impeccable, if not outrageous, style for a man his age. He is standing in the middle of the couches while talking down to someone. As Bryan pulls me closer I can now see that the one being talked down to is Kai.

"With your current record of incompetence, the upper level has decided to avoid further disappointment by removing you from head of the year end project." This is what I can catch before Bryan comes to a stop at the head of the crowd. He forces me to stand next to him and keeps me there with a firm grip on my shoulder.

"Many impressive results have been expected of you Mr. Hiwatari, but I'm afraid you have slipped up far too much already."

How can this guy say that? Kai is amazing at this business! I've heard on the news that Silver Bullet Fashions has been the number one brand in Japan since his stores opened. Can two employees leaving really mess it all up?

Kai doesn't seem too upset with the information. He is leaning back comfortably in the armchair. One leg is crossed over the other and his hands are intertwined on the armrest. As always, he looks ready for a photo shoot. He isn't meeting Mr. Otsuka's eyes, but I don't think that's because of a lack of self-confidence. On the contrary. Kai looks absolutely bored.

"For the remainder of your contract, you will be replaced." What? No! "You may choose who your substitute will be since this is your business. You may send in their information in 2 weeks time after you have thought about it-"

"I don't need to think about it."

If the crowd behind me wasn't quiet before, they sure are quiet now. That may have been the first time Kai has said anything, at least since I got here. He sits up straighter in his seat and looks Mr. Otsuka dead in the eye. The head of 109-2 looks taken aback by this sudden turning of the tables. Even when Kai is sitting, he is still looking down at him.

"You… already have a replacement in mind?"

Suddenly, the hand on my shoulder pushes me forward drawing Mr. Otsuka's attention to myself. Kai doesn't seem surprised at all by my intrusion. What the hell is Bryan playing at? I send Kai worried glances and Mr. Otsuka polite smiles. What am I supposed to do? From my peripheral I can see Kai gesture towards me politely.

"Mr. Otsuka, this is Rei Kon. My replacement."

…

…

… WHAT?

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_Next Chapter: Rei's decision on the year-end project and someone surprising comes to help._

_thanks for reading^^ please stay until the end~ see you next week hopefully~_


	19. Lollipop

_Saturday! only one more Saturday to go omg my very first story is coming to an end *crying forever* anyway there is a treat for everyone in this chapter towards the end (well, if you like the Russian bastards lol) Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing~ it means a lot really!_

_Can't believe this is chapter 19 T_T only **1 left!** Enjoy~^^_

**_Disclaimer: Chapter 1_**

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The Silver Bullet shopping bag falls onto my coffee table. It makes a loud thump before its contents shift and cause it to fall over. One of the folders slides out of the bag and onto the floor. For a moment I just stare at it. The name on the plastic tab is mocking me. It finds this whole situation to be utterly hilarious. That's why it was this particular folder that decided to fall out of the bag. I can almost hear it laughing as I re-read the name a couple times over.

'Silver Bullet Year-End Event'

The happenings of today catch up to me and I suddenly feel exhausted. I manage the couple of steps to the couch before plopping down between it and the coffee table. How could this happen? I must have really messed up in a past life to be thrown into this situation. I reach over and grab the offending folder from the floor and toss it on top of the bag. Why did I agree to this in the first place?

"_Kai stop!"_

_I follow him into the stairwell, the heavy door slams behind me. There is the occasional thumping against my leg from the heavy Silver Bullet bag in my hand as I chase after Kai. He is working his way down the stairs quickly so I have to keep up a brisk pace to follow. Mr. Otsuka finished quickly and left back to his office. As soon as he did, Kai forced his way through the crowd and out of the store. I'm already out of breath from having chased after him. _

"_Kai! How can you leave me as your replacement?"_

_Again, he doesn't answer. A sign on the wall tells me that we have reached the basement level parking garage. Kai pushes the heavy door open and I barely make it through before it slams shut again._

"_You know I'm not cut out for this!"_

"_Yes you are." Well, he finally answered me, but that's not the answer I wanted. I follow him to the opposite side of the garage. He pulls out a set of keys before two beeps are heard. The headlights of a black car light-up telling me that it's Kai's. It has to be Kai's. It looks like it costs more than my entire life._

_My curiosity gets the better of me and I ask the question on my mind. "What kind of car is that?"_

"_2011 Audi R8."_

_I shake my head to escape the trance of the Audi and turn back to Kai. "Kai, you can't leave me in charge! There is no way anything good can come from this! I'm going to run your business into the ground! You're going to go bankrupt and your employees will be out of work and-"_

_I suddenly find myself against the wall of the garage next to the car. My path on both sides is blocked by a pair of elbows. The light from the Audi's headlights allows me to see crimson eyes staring into my own. Due to the close proximity, that is all I can see. I will never get tired of smelling his cologne._

"_Rei," I can feel Kai's breath brush against my lips, "If you would only do one thing for me for the rest of our time together, let it be this. Please."_

"Ugh." My head makes contact with the coffee table painfully. I turn my now aching head and stare at the bag next to me. From this new position I can clearly see the many files and papers sitting inside. I don't even want to look at any of them. Just the thought about reading through them makes me sleepy. Out of boredom, I reach over and grab the folder that I had just picked up off of the floor. Year-end project…

"…_the upper level has decided to remove you as head of the year-end project."_

Am I really going to let Kai down, after all he has done for me, after everything he's been through? Of course not. I'm such a good friend. Damn.

I reach into my own bag and pull out the blackberry that was given to me for 'business purposes only.' Technically, this is business. And technically, Tala isn't here to strangle me over a few stray calls on the phone bill. I go to the favorite contacts list and find the number I was looking for. While it rings I open the folder to the first page and start to go over the details.

"Rei, what's up?"

"Hilary…. I'm going to need your help."

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This is probably the 100th time I have walked up these ivory stairs. These past few times, however, have felt very different. Every time before I would be coming up to see Kai. Don't even ask me about where Kai ran off to. The incident in the parking garage was the last time I saw or spoke to him. I step up to the door like many times before. This was Kai's office and I would knock before entering. Now, it has become my workspace.

I open the door and am greeted by the four people I have been working around the clock with for the past month. Ken and Aloysha are at the couches looking over a coffee table of papers. Max is on his laptop at Tala's old desk, probably taking care of predicted sales and looking over potential buyers. Tyson is standing in front of a board covered in magazine clippings and sucking on a lollipop. He's talking on the phone with Mr. Mikimoto. I can tell because most of the clippings on the board are of his jewelry. We are all preparing for the year-end project that has been scheduled for December 24th. That leaves us with less than a month left to prepare.

"Max, has Hilary called?"

"Yup." He stands quickly and grabs a notepad sitting next to him. He flips through a couple pages before ripping one out. I head to Kai's old desk, now my desk, and lay out my newly signed papers. I just had a meeting with the head department to extend the mall hours from 10pm to midnight for the night of the event. It was difficult to persuade them, but I was relentless. Max approaches with the paper he has just ripped out and reads from it.

"She signed the deal with Coco Lulu. They agreed to provide some merchandise to be featured during the event." God I love Hilary.

"Excellent." I take a seat behind the desk and start to file the signed documents. "When will she be back in town?"

From the corner of my eye I can see Max shift uneasily. "Actually," this word, I don't like it. "she said that she wasn't able to sign with SYG. They are planning their own event around the same time so…"

I let out a sigh at the distressing news. Then I look back to Max and offer him a smile. "We'll be fine. Get back to what you were doing, and don't forget to take your break today."

His blue eyes twinkle almost animatedly and he bounces back to his desk. At this time Tyson hangs up the phone with Mikimoto and comes to lean on the back of one of the couches. The lollipop makes a _pop_ noise as he pulls it from his lips.

"Rei, you are going to love me." Not unless you turn into a clone of Kai that would actually give me a chance.

… Ah, what the hell. "And why is that Tyson?"

He grins at me and shakes his phone cheerfully. "I just convinced Mikimoto to double his supply at only 20% increase in our costs."

"How the hell did you manage that?" Tyson can barely walk and chew gum at the same time! Hell, if the piece of gum is too tough he gives up and spits it out! Just how did he manage a deal like this?

"I bet you didn't know that Grandpa and Mikimoto went to high school together."

…No way.

"Grandpa chased off some bullies who were giving Mikimoto a hard time. He never returned the favor."

Let me get this straight. Mikimoto and Grandpa G went to the same high school, but Mikimoto became a billionaire while Grandpa G still doesn't have a grasp at proper Japanese? I need coffee.

"Rei," Ken walks around the couches to stand in front of the desk. "There's a problem." Oh no. Now I really need coffee. Still, I nod for him to continue.

"Today's newspaper reported that Matthew Satou's company is also holding their grand opening for the end of the year… On December 24th."

4°C is holding their own event the same time as us? But, I told Matthew that we were planning for the 24th, so why is he planning the same day?

The office goes quiet. All eyes fall on me. They are waiting for an answer, if I change the date, if I change the plans. We could change the date and avoid the competition altogether, but that would mean calling all of the designers back and changing their schedules. Plus, Kai would never run away from a challenge like this. He would run head-first into it.

Everyone is still waiting for my answer. Whatever I say, I know they will stick by my decision. They've stuck by me for the past month. I know what we are going to do.

"We won't change the date. We just have to make this the best event that we can."

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"The final decision that needs to be made by every department is the theme. Each store is being completely redesigned to fit whatever we decide on."

All of the eyes around the long table look up to me with excitement. These are all fashionable and creative people, so of course they would look forward to an opportunity like this. "Talk amongst yourselves for a few minutes and then we will all discuss together."

We are in the back of the employee lounge for our weekly meeting. I decided we should start having these to discuss the year-end project. After all, these people know more than me about how these things go. If I want to do well, I need professional opinion.

As soon as they pull into their own little groups, my phone in my pocket vibrates. I turn away from the others so they don't see me answer. I told them they needed to turn off their phones and look at what kind of example I'm making. Well, technically I'm their boss and... whatever. "Hello?"

"Hey baby." Matthew. "I have some free time right now, what do you say we meet up and grab some lunch?"

"I can't, I'm in the middle of a meeting." Short, sweet, and kicks him in the balls. If you couldn't tell, I do not want to talk to him right now. I say a quick goodbye and return my phone to my pocket. I turn back to the group, which has surprisingly gone very silent in the last few seconds. They must have finished discussing.

Or they just saw a ghost.

They are all just staring, but not at me, at the door. I conform and look to the door myself, and the sight that greets me is difficult to explain. It might as well have been a ghost. I can't decide if it's a good thing, or a bad thing, but the person who has just stepped in looks just as unsure. Take it as you will…

It's Tala!

Yeah, are you just as unsure now? Everyone else seems to be just as confused on how to take his arrival as I am. On the one hand, it's Tala, the guy who up and left to work for 4°C. On the other hand, he's back! And on the third hand (if you happen to have one), it's _Tala_.

"Thanks for the warm welcome." Well, if we made it too warm you might melt, Ice Princess. Maybe this isn't a good thing after all.

"Tala, what are you doing here?" He doesn't answer. Instead, he comes to stand closer to me than I would like him to stand. But he doesn't maim me. Instead he hands me an SD card. I stare at it for a while hoping it will come to life and tell me what it's for. But it doesn't so I turn to the Russian who gave it to me.

"Uh…" I've been told I have a way with words.

"It's a copy of all the plans for the grand opening of 4°C."

... Whoa, what? I stare at him in disbelief. Doesn't he work there? Why would he give this to me? His eyes narrow at my lack of comprehension so I ask the question on my mind.

"But, you work there. Why are you doing this?"

"Did you really think I would willingly go and work for that bag of shit who chose you over the rest of the Earth's population?" Same old Tala. "I switched over to get their information. Then I quit."

That… is impressive! Tala does care about us! Well, maybe not us, but the company! Well, maybe not the company. Kai? Oh yeah, once I get those two together then I can leave as well. It will certainly be a lot easier with Tala here and not there. Tala's suddenly close presence shocks me out of my thoughts. He's adjusting my clothes like how he did when he still worked here. Even when I dressed my best he always found a way to improve it. When he is done, he turns on his heels and heads for the door.

"Use it Kon. Make this event worth my time, or I'll kill you." And with those sweet words, Tala makes his exit.

"Well?" I look back to the table to find all eyes on me. They are eagerly waiting to find out what 4°C is planning.

I sit down at the head of the table where my laptop is placed. It is awkwardly quiet as I type in my password. Once the desktop appears I put the card in quickly. A sudden thought crosses my mind that Tala _could_ be lying and this card _could_ be a virus that _could_ completely wipe out my hard drive. But Tala wouldn't do something so careless.

His fingerprints are on the card after all.

A window opens on the screen revealing two files. One of the files is titled 'Designer Collaborations' while the other is titled 'Grand Opening.' Let's look at that one.

"Rei," I look up to meet Max's blue eyes. "What does it say?"

"Uhh… give me a second."

I quickly open the appropriately named file and read over the document quickly. They seem to be going for a really high-end style for their opening. Makes sense. They are an accessory store, and not a cheap one at that. Reading over more I find the name of their event and the further layout for the store. They are really pulling out all the stops for this opening.

"Their event is 'Christmas at 4°C,' and they seem to be going for a fancy, upper-class theme." I hear a few mixed reactions. Some groans, some scoffs.

"That is a really lame theme." One of the male employees from RHYDEAL speaks up. "Their store is already 'upper-class.' There's no variety."

"That is true." A shy girl from Silver Bullet. "But I was hoping for a really sophisticated theme for our store as well."

The group continues to chat mildly: about their optimism that we can outdo the competition, and about their worries if we can't.

"Listen up." The group is silenced immediately. I've been gaining a lot of respect since I started running things, as strange as this still feels. I still haven't gotten used to people listening to me attentively outside of the White Tigers.

"I know what you guys are feeling. I'm having some mixed feelings about this myself. However, we can't let these feelings get to us. We can't get cocky, and we can't be discouraged. We've worked too hard up until now to suddenly change our work ethic in any direction." I receive a few nods in understanding.

"So, we know what theme we are not going to do. But that is only one. There are endless possibilities open to us. Whatever you guys can imagine for Silver Bullet, we will make it happen." I receive a few more nods and excited comments. You can practically see the employees' cogs starting to turn in their minds.

"So, what are we waiting for?"

The room is once again filled with noises of brainstorming, chatter, and excitement.

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Eleven… twelve… thirteen… fourteen…

This process... is very intricate. It needs to be done with precision and care. One false move and I will have to start all over. The stress is nerve-wracking, almost overwhelming, but it needs to be done. What exactly am I doing?

I'm counting the stairs.

I realized something as I was walking up here: I have walked up these stairs to the office numerous times, but I have never, not _once_, counted them! So I decided that now is as good a time as any to put an end to this conundrum. It's a good thing that no one is here right now. It's pretty late so everyone has gone home already. That's good for me, because I look really silly right about now.

Twenty-five!

Well, that was fun. Now it's time to get back to the real work. I shift the folders in my arm as I near the office. I walk through the open door and step around some boxes that were left on the floor. Only one light in the corner is lit so I can see the lights of Shibuya clearly through the windows. Obviously no one is here and…

… no one is here… and the door is open?

Okay, maybe someone just left in a hurry and didn't close it. That has to be it. They left the light on, too! No need to worry Rei… It's not working. I'm still worried. My senses are telling me that someone was in here, or someone is _still_ in here.

Just as that thought crosses my mind, I catch movement on the couch. Someone is here! I instantly crouch down to avoid being seen. Good timing too. Whoever it is has just stood up and is walking around the couch. I start creeping around the other way, trying to keep the couch between the two of us. I abandon my stack of folders quietly before picking up the pace. It is then that I catch a head of familiar lavender. Bryan!

I should have known it was him slobbing on the couch.

Still, being in a room alone with Bryan is not at the top of my 'things to do before I die' list. More like 'things to do if I want to die.' We have now switched places, he is behind the couch while I am slightly molesting the coffee table. Shit, if he moves anymore I won't have anywhere to go without drawing attention to myself. Thinking quickly, I flatten against the rug and slide under the coffee table. Perfect! Me and the table are the same length… sort of.

Once I am situated I can hear the door to the office close before I catch the sound of footsteps coming closer. From my angle under the table I can see Bryan still standing behind the couch. He is soon joined by the other person who had just entered. Tala.

The two speak in Russian for a bit. While they do, Tala walks over to his desk and places some folders on top. I recognize them as being the folders that I had asked Tyson to bring up here a couple hours ago. Dammit Tyson.

"He'll be here shortly." That was Tala. Their conversation ends and Tala slides onto the top of his desk next to the folders. He crosses a slender leg over the other and looks through his blackberry. This whole time Bryan has been watching him closely. I'm not sure why, but I feel like something is going to happen.

Feeling eyes on him Tala looks up to meet Bryan's stare. But something's different. His blue eyes aren't as icy now. They look pleased, child-like, almost mischievous. "What?"

I look back at Bryan as a smirk forms on his features. He moves closer to stand in front of Tala, their eyes never leaving each other. What is this?

Suddenly, Bryan's arms shoot out to grab Tala around the waist and his lips come down to meet Tala's- WHOA! I think my eyes just popped out of their sockets! There is no way this is real! I quickly pinch my arm to- ow! It _is_ real. The Russian bastards are locked in a full-on make-out session right in front of me! It's weird! It's unbelievable! It's… kind of hot!

One of Bryan's hands comes down and forces Tala's legs to uncross so he can settle himself between them. Then his hands change direction and shove themselves under Tala's shirt. Bryan's mouth travels from Tala's lips to his neck. The redhead's breathe is coming out in short bursts now and he's grabbing onto Bryan's shoulders forcefully. His cheeks have taken on a rosy tint, which is surprising to me. I was always under the impression that Tala didn't have blood vessels in his face.

"I missed you." Bryan voice is slightly muffled due to Tala's neck.

"Is that so?" Tala hands wrap around Bryan's neck before he falls back onto the desk. This forces Bryan to lean over and hold himself up. I guess it's Tala's turn to get touchy. He forces his hands under Bryan's shirt while Bryan assists him by removing his jacket. His shirt follows and I now see why he's a model. His body rivals Kai's.

Have I been panting this whole time?

"Not in the office please." I think I was more shocked by the third voice in the room than the two on the desk. Surprisingly, no one heard my head colliding with the table. I quickly massage my newly injured head before I start to whimper and draw attention to myself. When did Kai walk in? The Russian bastards seem to be forever shameless. Bryan simply stands back up, smirk in place, while he puts his shirt back on. Tala sits up on his elbows and sends a coy smile to the intruder.

A few Russian words are shared between the three. During this time Bryan gets dressed, Tala doesn't do anything, and Kai organizes some of the mess around the office. Now I'm confused. If Kai loves Tala, then why hasn't he blown up yet? He saw Bryan all over Tala but he hasn't said anything. He doesn't even look the least bit upset. When Bryan is done making himself decent the Russian bastards bid Kai a good night and take their leave. I can hear the door fall closed behind them. They're probably going to finish what they started.

"You can come out now, Rei."

Oh. Shit.

Well, no use pretending. I carefully shimmy out from under the coffee table. Instantly, I find crimson eyes watching me. Kai is leaning against his desk looking oh so amused at my antics. Once I'm at my full height he looks back at Tala's desk.

"I take it you saw everything." He pretty much assumed that I didn't think to look away from the scene. And I didn't. Who would? That was a once in a lifetime opportunity! 'Once in a lifetime' because in all of my time working with the Russian bastards, they have never done anything like _that_ around me. I got lucky, in more ways than one. I'm a sexually deprived 20-year-old, what do you want from me?

"Y-yeah…" Kai lets out another chuckle before turning to look out of the windows. The glow from the lights outside partnered with the light inside make for a very delicious looking Kai. He looks so content, almost like nothing can bother him. Not even…

Do I dare? "Say Kai," I dare. "About Tala and Bryan. Are they…"

"Together? Yes."

There is a moment of silence. I take this chance to slide onto his desk next to him. "… and you're okay with it?"

He turns from the window enough to meet my eyes. The glow from the street lights below have intensified his gaze. He's looking at me in a questioning manner, but not in the raised eyebrow way. More like the 'it should be obvious' kind of way. "They were together before I opened my business. I couldn't really tell them to break it off just so they could-"

"I didn't mean your work policy." His eyes flash from my ballsy interruption. Oops.

"I mean… I was sort of under the impression that… You… had feelings… for… Tala." His eyes flash again, but for a different reason. Then a smirk forms on his lips and he turns back to the window.

"Tala is my brother... Well, like my brother. We've been through everything together. Everything that a couple of kids shouldn't have to go through." I'm guessing he's talking about the Abbey.

"Then Bryan was charged with murder,"

"What?" Kai's surprised eyes turn to me. Then he smirks again when he realizes the cause of my outburst.

"Sorry. I should explain. He was _charged_ with murder. He didn't actually kill anyone. Boris had some of his men kill off Bryan's family and frame it to look like a mentally unstable 9-year-old did it." Wow. That's terrible. I can kind of see why Bryan acts the way he does now. Kind of. I still haven't forgiven him for any of the things he has done to me. It's not like _I_ killed his family.

"Then, 'out of the goodness of his heart,' Boris took him into the Abbey. That's when we met him."

"….. And then Tala and Bryan experienced love at first sight?" Kai sends me another questioning look. This time it _is_ the raised eyebrow kind. "Well… you know. Psychotic Russian to psychotic Russian."

"Actually, Tala was completely different as a kid." Really now? I can't picture it. "He was always scared. The other boys would tease him because he was weak and looked like a girl." And this is where I start chuckling. That's hilarious! I'm going to have to remember this for future reference. Kai waits for me to compose myself before he continues.

"He followed me around like a baby chick. It would get annoying when he always wanted to hold my hand. That's when I started to wear long scarves." I tilt my head in a questioning manner. I'm not seeing why having Tala around would make you want to wear scarves.

Kai catches my confused look and relieves me of my confusion. "He would hold onto them so we wouldn't be separated."

… All together now.

Awwwwwwwwww! That's kind of cute. I can see a little redheaded Tala with big blue eyes holding onto a mini Kai's scarf as he walks around the yard at the Abbey. Little Bryan still looks like a blurry purple-haired octopus with cleavers at this point. So, how did cute little Tala and Octopus Bryan get together?

"Then, how did those two actually…?"

"Like you said. Psychotic Russian to psychotic Russian." I can hear my laugh echo throughout the empty office. This… is a relief! Kai doesn't love Tala!.. But he doesn't love me either. Oh, how bittersweet. At least I didn't lose to Tala. He's stuck with Bryan.

A sudden hand on mine grabs my attention. Kai is still looking out of the windows, but it is definitely his hand holding mine. "Kai?"

His eyes turn fully to me and he takes a better hold of my hand. "I've always known how I felt about people, Rei. They are either kept at a distance or they're like my family." By this I can assume that he's talking about Tala and Bryan, but where does that leave me?

"I don't know what I feel for you. I just want you to stay with me." What is this? Is it a confession? But he told me before that he doesn't love me. Does he just want to use me? I'm not sure how to take this. I try to work things out in my head as I look longingly at our joined hands.

"You want me to stay… but you don't love me or want a relationship."

Nailed it.

His eyes are as hard as ever but he hasn't defended himself. I think I've figured him out. It's not his fault, for any of this. He doesn't know what love is. He doesn't know how to be in a relationship. He grew up in the Abbey or with is grandfather. It's always been about his survival and no one else. I give his hand a squeeze as I feel a smile form on my lips.

"I understand Kai." I stand and go to remove my hand from his. He holds on for a moment before he relents. "But, I do want a relationship… with someone who loves me."

"Satou isn't a good guy."

"Maybe. But he's willing to give me something that you can't." He goes quiet. Then he gives me a nod. He understands. I know he does. He was always able to understand what it was I needed to do, whether he cared about my feelings or not. With much difficulty I turn away from the one who has my heart. The one who broke it so many times. I can't even remember just how many times he's walked away from me, and how many times I've chased after him. I want to stay, God knows I do.

But maybe it's my turn to walk away from him.

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_Next Chapter: Matthew reveals some information, the Year-End Event is finally here, but what about Kai and Rei?_

_1 left 1 left 1 chapter left! please stay for the finale! see you again in our final week hopefully!_


	20. Tasty Love

_Omg I can't believe it's the last chapter already! and i have to write this out on Friday again lol My aunt wants me to go golfing with her at 5am tomorrow xP DOES SHE NOT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DAY? lol_

_**I want to thank every single person who has read, reviewed, and favorited this story! **my first story! it really means a lot to me guys. without your support i wouldn't have had the heart to continue_

_Alright no more waiting! onward to Chapter 20! *still crying*_

_I suggest that everyone reads this in 3/4 or 1/2 page width, it looks better that way xP Well... here we go!_

_**Disclaimer: (once and for all!) Chapter 1**_

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

1 day.

Just 1 more day until the Year-End Event. Everything is set. The employees picked a theme and the stores have been fully remodeled. Since there are three stores and it is almost Christmas time the employees got creative and decided on "A Christmas Carol." RHYDEAL was assigned Christmas past and has been decorated in Christmas décor from the 1950s to 1960s. JACKROSE was picked for Christmas present so the employees had fun running around and finding decorations that they liked from their favorite stores. Silver Bullet was chosen to be Christmas future. I haven't seen the store yet, but someone told me that all of the decorations are very abstract and avant-garde.

After nearly three months of planning and stressing it is all finally coming together. Hilary practically forced me to go out today and relax. I'm meeting Matthew for a date. After pretty much ignoring him in favor of this project I felt kind of bad. You can't really blame me though. The guy knew that we were planning our event for tomorrow but he sets his on the exact same day. Whatever.

We're meeting at the Hie shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. I got here early for reasons unknown to myself. But this place is beautiful. There is a line of red torii gates that seems to go on for miles. I am currently walking through them out of pure curiosity and amazement. There are so many trees, and so many scrolls…

And so many stairs!

God, what was I thinking when I decided to waltz through these millions of gates placed on this mountain high staircase? I've had to take two breaks already and I'm only half-way up! The shrine is at the top so it better be worth it. And when I say worth it I mean there had better be a deity waiting for me at the top of these damn stairs with a chocolate cake and 1 million yen. Can stairs that lead to a shrine be damned? Well anyway, damn these stairs!

And now it's dark. Great.

"Guess who." Bob Marley. I gently pry the hands from my eyes and turn to find none other than Matthew. He's the only one who greets me this way. At first it was cute. But after guessing correctly every time it gets a little boring. I give him a smile that probably gives away that I just walked up a few thousand stairs.

"Sorry I'm late. I spaced-out on the train and got off at the wrong station." His touchy-feely arm places itself around my shoulders. Are we allowed to act homo on holy ground? "I guess I've been tired from planning our event. It's tomorrow you know."

Yeah. I know. You planned it the same time as ours so how could I forget. "Really?"

I successfully hide the sarcasm that is just fighting to come out. We continue to walk the seemingly endless flight of stairs in a semi-comfortable silence. I'm still debating on whether being so touchy-feely on sacred ground will turn the fates against me.

"Is there anything you're going to pray for?" That is a question I have not thought of.

"I… don't know." Besides the fact that we are at a Shinto shrine and I was raised on Taoist beliefs, I really hadn't put any thought into anything, much less _what_ I would be praying for. Well there is the Year-End Event tomorrow that I've been working non-stop for the past three months for. I should pray for that. Then there are exams coming up that I haven't studied for at all. Definitely praying for that. Then there's Kai…

This may sound strange, especially after everything he's done. But I feel sorry for him. Really. He doesn't know how to feel emotions or how to treat other people. How can a person like that find someone to be with them. Granted I still have feelings for him and would still want to be with him. But people want to be _loved _by the people they're with. I may have lost Kai but at least I have Matthew. Who does Kai have?

The Russian bastards.

Better pray extra for him.

Matthew's chuckling pulls me out of my thoughts. "What?"

"Nothing. You just looked really determined suddenly." Oh, whoops. His chuckles subside after a few seconds. "I was going to ask for a good turnout for our event tomorrow." He's really thinking about his event today. Well, if he's going to try and get the gods on his side then so will I.

"I was thinking of asking for a couple of things." We're still not to the top of these stairs, but at least I can see the roof of the shrine now. Too bad it looks so small. "Maybe about the event, and school… and Kai."

"Why him?" That was fast. And snappy. I guess talking about another guy is a touchy subject for him.

"Well, he's done a lot for me, even though we've had a few spats-"

"He's a joke. He can't even keep a hold of his employees." His tone, I don't like it. "That's why he lost control of his business in the first place."

This is still a delicate subject for me. After all, I _am _one of the employees leaving. Tala ended up coming back, but the damage is done. Kai lost his business for the remainder of the contract and his reputation took a hit. Everyone has been talking about it, even on television. But they only know that Kai was removed from his position, they don't know exactly why. The only ones who know are a small few that were there in the office the day that it happened. Me, Hilary, the Russian bastards and…

"Wait a second."

Matthew only stops his trek up the stairs when he realizes I'm no longer next to him. His confused eyes fall on me and he gives me a small smile. I don't return it. "How did you know Mr. Otsuka removed Kai because he lost employees?"

His smile falters. Then it returns tenfold. Except now it's a guilty one. He steps closer and holds onto my right hand lightly. "You caught me."

Wrong answer.

"Rei, it's not like I wanted Hiwatari to lose his business. I was looking out for my superior. You know, Mr. Otsuka runs both 109-2 and Tokyu Twins? It's a big job so he can't do it all on his own. What kind of junior would I be if I didn't help him look out for irresponsible shareholders? Though, from the beginning, I didn't care much for that Hiwatari. He should have left a long time ago-"

He didn't see it coming. My fist connected perfectly with his nose. I am rewarded with a satisfying crack and a pained shout. He falls back onto the steps and has to grab onto a nearby torii gate so he doesn't roll all the way back down the stairs.

"Rei? What the hell was that for?"

I don't answer right away. I'm too busy taking in his shocked, confused, and slightly bloody appearance. His nose is probably broken. I can't tell though. He's holding it trying to keep the blood off of his clothes. After a moment of me not answering, he turns his complete attention to his nose. I can hear him mumbling something about how his nose may become disfigured and how I've lost my mind.

I haven't lost my mind, I found it. Now I know what Kai was talking about. Matthew is really no good. It just sucks that it took me this long to see it. And I listened to this guy over someone whom I call my friend. Who I respect and admire… and love.

"I love him…"

It was barely a whisper, but Matthew heard. He looks up with his hand still clamped over his face. "What?"

I turn quickly to start my journey back down the stairs. I was planning on praying for tomorrow's event, but now I don't think I need to. I've worked hard. Everyone has worked hard. I want to be sure that whatever good comes out of tomorrow came straight from our labor alone and not some divine intervention.

Remembering something, I stop short and look back up at the bloody mess I've left behind. "Matthew."

He looks up a second time still clutching his bloody face. I can see tears have built up in his eyes from the pain that has just caught up to him. He should go to a hospital. "What?"

"We're over."

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

Where is he? Where _is_ he? Aloysha, where are you!

The big day has arrived. It is time for the Year End Event that everyone has been working so diligently for. I'm in RHYDEAL doing the last check-up before we open. So far so good. Everything is in order. Not a sock out of place, except for Tyson's that is. He can never match his socks.

The only thing I have left to do is confirm the arrival of a highly anticipated shipment. This particular shipment is a line of shirts collaborated with the brand Makiko. It took Hilary about a week to get them to agree. It is one of the most anticipated products for this event and the last time I checked the shipment still hadn't arrived. Aloysha has been waiting on it all day which is why I am currently looking for him. All of the Silver Bullet stores will be open to the public in about 1 hour and I can't find him anywhere!

There's the fruit tart! I spot his brown hair just past a couple mannequins. Immediately, I rush through the crowd of employees. They part for me easily now that I am in charge. Before long I dash past the mannequins to find Aloysha fixing a few haphazardly folded shirts.

"Aloysha," he looks up instantly and offers a bright, if not a little stressed, smile. "Did the shipment-"

"Already here."

"Is it set-"

"Full display completed and ready to be vandalized by excited customers." He moves back a little to reveal a fully set display holding all of the Makiko collaborated shirts. I turn back to Aloysha who is gesturing to the display like a model on a game show. I can't hold back my relief and pull him into hug.

"How could I do this without you?"

I feel him laugh and pat my back gently. "You couldn't."

"Rei." No, no interruptions. Just let me hold my fellow homo for a moment longer. Aloysha and I eventually pull apart to find Hilary. She has a worried look on her face. Crap, don't tell me something's wrong. "You need to see this."

I look to Aloysha who gives me a reassuring nod. With that I step past Hilary and around a set a mannequins. All of the employees are crowded around something. I can hear some quiet talking but aside from that nothing. I move through the crowd slowly making my way to the center of everyone's attention. It isn't long before I find a head of familiar lavender hair.

Luckily, Bryan is too busy looking around the store to notice me so I continue. Once I am at the head of the crowd I can see that he didn't come alone. Tala is also looking around the store. I can see he is holding a stack of what appears to be tote bags. Bryan also has a large box balanced on one of his shoulders.

And there's Kai. A few people are speaking to him quietly, saying how they miss him and how he didn't deserve to be let go. He responds with nods and shrugs which shows that he missed being here too.

"Kai." I was speaking just louder than a whisper but he heard me. His crimson eyes fall on me for a moment before he looks to the crowd again. He clears his throat gaining everyone's attention. Bryan and Tala come to stand by him most likely out of habit.

"Everyone, it's been a while." A dull murmur of agreement fills the room momentarily. "I am pleased to see that the Year-End Event is on its way to being a success. The layouts of all the stores are impressively planned out, the coordinations are up to par, and the designer collaborations are a pleasant surprise."

A few people talk amongst themselves happily about the praise they have just received. I myself am relieved. It's good to know that the hard work everyone has put in was worth it. Some people, like Hilary and Ken, are going to need some extra paid vacation after this.

"However," uh oh. This word has suddenly become my least favorite. The happy chatter throughout the crowd has stopped. You can tell everyone is running through the possible reasons for Kai to be displeased: there was not enough advertising, we were unable to get bigger designers to collaborate, no one got him a Christmas present…

"I couldn't allow this event to continue without putting my own effort into it... I'm too prideful."

A few sighs of relief and giggles erupt from the crowd and I nearly pass out myself. While some people return to talking quietly, Kai turns to Tala and takes a few tote bags from his arms. He then holds one up for everyone to see. It is a black bag (though I can see some from the stack in brown and crème) with the word SAIGO printed in gold on the front. Also in gold is a picture of a phoenix covered in chains with wings outstretched.

"These bags are originals purchased from SAIGO in Korea." A few people who know the brand let out noises of excitement. "We will give these away as gifts along with…"

On cue, Bryan steps forward and places the box he was carrying on the ground. He pulls the top open to reveal smaller boxes and Kai grabs one to show everyone. "These are products from Laneige Homme skincare. These will also be given away free of charge."

More animated talking ensues as Kai looks over everyone in the crowd. He skips over me, but honestly I don't mind. I'm just glad he's here. I'm glad they are all here actually. Even Bryan (sort of). Their being here makes this place feel like it used to.

"The event begins in thirty minutes. You've come a long way everyone. Let's do our best."

A sound of agreement is heard and everyone scatters to either finish what they were doing or to move the free items to the other stores. I'm about to follow Kai so that I can get a word in before the opening. However, Max calls me from the other side of the store needing assistance. Well, maybe I can speak to him during the event.

The thirty minutes before the opening go by quickly and before I know it, I am standing at the head of Silver Bullet waiting to greet the anxious customers. Hilary is standing to my right looking about 1,000 times less stressed than myself. She's a people person by nature unlike me. I haven't had to talk to a customer in months so I'm afraid I'll be a bit rusty with helping anyone.

Ken looks to everyone to see if we are ready. When he is satisfied he heads over to the key-switch by the door that will raise the metal gate separating us from the excited crowd outside. His phone rings and he answers quickly already knowing who it is. Aloysha's voice can be heard on the other end. Ken turns to all of us once again.

"This is it everyone."

Hilary's hand seeks out mine and she gives it a squeeze. I squeeze back and take a deep breath as the metal gate slowly rises. The security guards on either side of the door wait until it reaches the top before undoing the velvet rope holding back the customers. Once they do, the crowd quickly steps into the store.

The anxious feeling soon leaves me as I see the looks on the first few customers' faces. They are absolutely amazed. The male customers are pointing out decorations that catch their eye to their friends or girlfriends. Said girlfriends will laugh in excitement or squeal accordingly. The married women are holding their husbands arms lovingly as they gaze at the lights and whimsical displays. Some of the children that have been brought along have gone straight to the Christmas tree in the center of the store where they can look at all of the "presents" and ornaments. No doubt they have similar presents waiting at home to be opened tomorrow morning.

One little boy is trying to grab a Santa riding in a hot air balloon hanging from the ceiling.

I turn around and take in the sights all around me. Some employees are giving away the tote bags at the door to be used as shopping bags. Many customers are surprised to have received a gift without even buying a single thing.

Near the dressing rooms, Hilary is talking animatedly with one of the girlfriends as she assists her boyfriend in finding new clothes. While he steps into the dressing room the girlfriend leans over and whispers something into Hilary's ear which causes them both to giggle.

Max and Tyson are helping out a family. Well, Max is helping the couple. Tyson has thrown on a set of reindeer antlers and a glowing red nose to prance around like an idiot for the amusement of a group of kids. They absolutely love him.

As the cash registers come into view I can see Russian bastards 1 and 2 ringing up sales and giving away freebees. Some of the girls are trying desperately to flirt with Bryan, but he isn't giving them any leeway. Tala is also receiving attention, but from the males. However, unlike Bryan, he is willing to offer a smile and short banter. I think that customer just forgot to take his change. We're probably getting more profit than we should with Tala behind the counter.

And where is Kai?

I catch a glimpse of grey hair near the front of the store. Sure enough, it's Kai. He's heading toward the little boy I had seen earlier. Said boy looks very upset at not being able to reach the Santa in the hot air balloon. A feeling builds up in me as I watch Kai approach him. I know what Kai is going to do before he does it. It's because of these rare acts that I fell for him in the first place. Under that cold exterior is a warm heart and I feel a smile pull at my cheeks every time I can witness its existence.

Kai reaches up, pulls the Santa out of the balloon and gives it to the now smiling boy.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Good work everyone!"

Ken pops open the champagne bottle sending the cork god-knows-where. Cheers mixed with squeals are heard as the foam spills from the open bottle onto the floor of JACKROSE. I'm not cleaning that up.

Some of the employees go to fill their glasses. The event was no-doubt a success. We made a lot of revenue and a few television networks came down to cover the event. So while the mess is being cleaned up we are also celebrating. Well, everyone else is celebrating. I, on the other hand, am not thinking about bubbly or an after party. I have waited all day to talk to Kai. But right now, I have no idea where he went.

I walk through the crowd of employees quickly hoping to catch a glimpse of his hair, or his clothes, or his eyes. Nothing. But I do find our favorite brunette.

"Hilary," I take hold of her shoulder hoping that she can sense my urgency. "Have you seen Kai?"

"I saw him ealier…" Great! "But I'm not sure where he's at now." Balls.

"It's ok Hilary. I'll ask around. Go home and get some rest, okay?" She nods and pulls me into a hug that, after the past couple of months, we both really needed. From behind me I hear the volume of the celebration increase. I can hear someone read off a news article (probably from their phone's internet service) stating that the Silver Bullet Year-End Event has already become the most talked about retail event this year.

Not wanting to miss out on the excitement, Hilary leaves me with a goodnight kiss on the cheek and heads over to join the group. Now, who might know where Kai ran off to? I spot Tyson and Max packing away some decorations. His own team? Why not?

"Hey, have you guys seen Kai?" I can see the decorations that they are packing are the ones that were too expensive to purchase so we opted for leasing them. Some designers will actually let you lease their décor! I couldn't believe it myself.

Max stacks another loaded box onto Tyson's already teetering stack of three. Please, for the love of every god ever worshipped in every religion that has ever come into existence, do NOT drop those. As Tyson staggers toward the employee lounge Max turns to me. "I saw him leaving almost as soon as we closed. But I didn't get a chance to ask where he was going."

Dammit, he already left. Seeing my crestfallen expression, Max gives a short frown. Then his index finger comes up to tap on his nose. He does this when he's thinking.

"Ah!" Max's blue eyes brighten as he is struck with an idea. "Why don't you ask Tala?" A _bad_ idea.

"Because he'll kill me."

Max only laughs. Apparently, he thinks I'm joking. He takes me by the shoulders and turns me in the direction of the Russian bastards. I feel a light push before I stumble forward. "Go on now. Remember, Kai."

I look forward to where Tala and Bryan are getting ready to leave. I swear, as soon as they stepped out of the lounge and into that corner of the store, the lights above them dimmed.

Kai.

Reluctantly, very reluctantly, I start making my way over to them. Bryan is facing away from me so it's a bit easier than usual to approach them. When I'm only a few steps away, Tala spots me from over Bryan's shoulder. His stare causes Bryan to turn to me also, which causes me to stop. They don't say anything, they're just waiting for me to say whatever I need to say and go.

"Uhh… Do you know where Kai went-"

"Home." Well, that was fast. I didn't expect Tala to answer so willingly.

"You mean… to his house?" Tala doesn't seem to like that I'm dragging this conversation longer than he prefers. I can tell from his exasperated sigh.

"To his house, to Russia. He can go 'home' to wherever he wants." Ok, hold on.

"What do you mean 'Russia?'" Tala doesn't answer, so Bryan decides to do the speaking.

"What we're saying, Kon, is Kai will not be able to run his business here until next year. Knowing him he isn't going to wait around. He could be on a plane right now for all I-" Shit!

I turn abruptly to get out of here as quickly as I can. I can't let Kai leave, not without talking to him first. I have to apologize for not listening to him about Matthew. I have to tell him that he was right about everything. And I haven't thanked him for what he's done for…

A thought pops into my head and I stop in my tracks. I turn back to the Russian bastards who have returned to their own little world. "Tala."

Said redhead turns agitated eyes to me. This is the second time I have talked to him for so long, and he doesn't like it. Bryan is also getting visibly irritated. Tala is "his" afterall.

"Thanks… for what you did."

The looks on their faces are priceless. Tala looks absolutely dumbfounded while Byran has no idea what I'm talking about. Satisfied, I turn to run out of the store. However, just before I am completely out of earshot, I hear a short exchange that brings an amused smile to my lips.

"What'd you do?"

"I didn't do a damn thing."

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Of course it's raining. Why wouldn't it be raining?

I'm thoroughly soaked. I can feel my hair sticking to my face and neck. It's freezing too, making it difficult to keep running. But I have to see Kai before he decides to leave again. I can't let him leave without telling him what I need to.

I apologize to a couple that I have accidentally splashed while running through a puddle. If I am not mistaken, this looks like the way to get to Kai's house. I had tried to memorize the route that day when I went with him to the meetings. It's kind of difficult to see through the rain, but so far everything seems familiar. However, after what happened in the limo that night, I'm not sure if my mind was up for remembering anything.

I slip as I round a corner into a narrow street. Yes, this is it! I can tell because the houses in this neighborhood are much larger than the ones in the next. My legs protest angrily but I run faster. I can see my breathe in front of my face from the cold. My skin has begun to tingle in some places and has gone completely numb in others. But that's not important right now.

Dammit, which house is his? I can't remember the color or exactly how big it was. I can't waste time with looking either. Screw it, I'll just run down the street till I find it. Just as I'm about to run faster, I catch a glimpse of an expensive car. An Audi.

I almost fall as I slide to a stop in front of a house with the familiar Audi sitting in the driveway, dry under a shade. That is definitely Kai's car. Only someone like Kai could afford it. And his car in the driveway means that he has to be home. I regain my composure quickly and hurry to the door.

As soon as I reach it I notice that rain is no longer hitting me. I'm standing under a little shade over the door. I take advantage of this and try to squeeze some of the water from my jacket and shirt. But really, I'm not worried about that. I'm hesitating. This could be the last time I see Kai for god knows how long. I take a second to compose my thoughts. Apologize and thank him. I'm not doing anything silly like telling him I love him. He already knows that.

A shaky hand comes up to press the button on the intercom. I can hear a chime and then nothing. I take this time to try and relax my breathing a bit more. I don't want to speak into the intercom panting like a serial killer. A sudden voice from the device startles me.

"Who is it?"

"Kai… Kai, it's Rei…. Can I… talk to you?"

He doesn't answer right away. A wave of nervousness overcomes me for a second but I force it back down. The sound of the button being pressed again catches my attention.

"Hold on."

That wasn't a 'no,' which in Kai's world means 'no,' and in Kai's world, any answer that is not a straight 'no' means 'yes.' Perfect. Hopefully, he doesn't take too long. It's freezing and I'm starting to shiver. This is why cats do not like water. I reach up and move the hair away from the back of my neck. It's starting to get itchy. I jump slightly when the door begins to open.

"Rei." Kai's eyes widen at my soaked appearance and he glances over my shoulder to confirm that it is, in fact, raining. While he takes in my appearance, I do the same for him. Unlike myself, he is dry. His hair is not styled and his hanging naturally. He is wearing a white wife-beater, grey sweat pants over bare feet and an extra dose of gorgeous. Sorry, distracted.

"Kai. Sorry for bothering you, but I have a few things I need to say." My eyes, that have been looking down for a while, come up to meet his. He studies me for a moment before giving me a nod to continue.

"I wanted to tell you that… you were right… about Matthew. And I'm sorry for not listening to you in the first place." I look back down at my hands that have now picked up their nervous habit of fidgeting.

"I won't say 'I told you so.'"

"But you did and… and I should have listened because Matthew was the one who-"

"The one who told Mr. Otsuka about me losing employees." A smile comes to my face. I should have known he already knew. My eyes come back up to meet his crimson ones. I can see amusement reflected in them.

"Did you come all the way here, in the rain, just to tell me I was right?" I feel a sudden blush color my cheeks at the realization. "You do have my number, don't you?"

"That's not it! I… I mean, there's more." Kai's arm moves further up the door frame and he rests his head against it. Maybe if he would stop looking at me through his bangs like that I could remember what it was I was going to say.

"Uh… I wanted to thank you… for everything you've done. Even forcing me to quit my old job and making me your replacement, everything. It's made me… stronger. And if you need anything, wherever you are, feel free to call me."

"… I see." Such a way with words.

We stand in silence for a few more seconds. The rain doesn't sound like it will be letting up for a while. It's going to be hell getting back to the station in this. I'd better get going before I catch a cold… or pneumonia. "That's, uh, all I wanted to say, so… I'd better get going then…"

"Can you wait a minute?"

I turn back to Kai in surprise. He is standing straighter waiting for an answer. I give him a confused nod and he turns back into his house. The door is slowly falling closed. Should I go in? No, he didn't invite me. I turn around and stare out into the street. The light from the streetlamp is reflecting off of the road. It's pretty. Well, I think that now, but once I get out there I'm going to hate it again. A sound behind me tells me Kai has returned. And he is holding…

"Here." An umbrella.

I let out an embarrassed chuckle as I remember my current appearance. "Thanks."

As I take the clear umbrella another item catches my eye. A plastic bag. Something with a square shape is inside. A Styrofoam container. Food? Kai sees me looking at the other item and holds it out to me as well. "Tala stopped by earlier and gave this to me. I think it's a dessert. Do you want it?"

"Uh, sure. Thanks." Our fingers brush lightly as I take the bag from him. A sudden sadness overwhelms me at the thought that this could be the last time I will touch him. Once again, silence overcomes us both. There's no need to stay any longer and I should really leave before things get awkward (too late).

"Well, I guess I'll see you… whenever." Or never.

"Yeah… Bye."

"Bye." And with that I finally turn from the door, open the umbrella, and step out into the wet street. As I pass his car I can hear the door behind me close lightly. Well, that went better than expected.

Walking in the rain is a lot different when you have an umbrella. I'm going to have to hop in the shower as soon as I get home. God, I hope I don't catch anything. That would be a pain. At least I have winter vacation now, and since everyone is taking some time off from work we can go somewhere together. I have some money saved up. I wonder if they would be up to go to an onsen. Or even just a ryoukan. That might be nice. I'll have to call Hilary tomorrow. What time is it anyway? I think it's around 2am right now. I am going to sleep well tonight. Hey, I have time tomorrow! Maybe I'll stop by the café near my apartment. I haven't been there in ages. I hadn't had time because of the event.

I can see the end of the neighborhood now. To think I ran all the way here in the rain. How dumb. I let out a low chuckle. So… stupid. Ah, my eyes are starting to sting. Of all times to cry. I suck it up and continue walking. Well, if I go to an onsen with Tyson, Max, and Hilary I can forget about everything. I'll need to look for a new job by the end of the year. Of course, I'm sure Tokyu Department Store would take me back in no time. That would be nice… to go back…

"It's chocolate-banana."

What?

I turn towards the voice. Standing a little ways down the street from me, soaking wet, is Kai. He had sense enough to put on a jacket with a hood and a pair of white chucks. But what the hell is he doing out here in the rain? His only shade is the hood covering his head, though his bangs have still gotten wet. He is slightly out of breath too… He ran after me? "Kai, what are you doing?"

"It's a chocolate-banana crepe… Tala didn't buy it…. I did, from Tokyu Deparment Store. You were eating one when I came back." … He remembered. And this bag…

"I know you like the crepes from there… I also know that you fidget when you're nervous or thinking… You are also not as confident as you seem… But you don't back down from challenges, which is how I knew you would stay by me at Silver Bullet." Why… Why is he doing this?

"You are polite to everyone you meet, even if they are rude to you. But on the inside you're actually sarcastic. I can tell from your eyes and your nose. If someone says something you don't like, your eyes narrow and your nose crinkles. Almost like you have something to say, but you won't. You're too nice."

I'm trying my best to look at him, listen to him, but it's becoming difficult to breathe. My sight has gotten blurry and my chest hurts. "Kai…"

"Even when someone like me takes advantage of you… you will still apologize for anything, but… I'm the one who needs to apologize. I pushed you and challenged you… because I knew you wouldn't leave. I'm sorry."

I move to bring my jacket sleeve to my eyes and wipe the tears that have fallen, but I am reminded of how my sleeve is already wet.

"I told you that Matthew was a bad guy. What I wanted to say was… he wasn't good enough for you. But that was something I had said about you… That was a lie. I wanted to believe that I was too good for you. But it's not true… You're perfect."

A sob escapes my throat as his words continue to hit me. I'm not even sure why I'm crying, but it seems so appropriate somehow. I'm so happy, and frustrated, and relieved, and pissed off.

"I always knew how to treat everyone I met. They are either kept at a distance, or they are like my family… but you… you're different… When I'm with you, I feel like I can tell you anything. But I don't… I don't have to, because you already know me."

I'm such a crybaby. But how can I not cry. The one I love… have loved for so long, followed me. He chased after me.

"Rei. I don't know what love is, but I do know one thing… I don't want you to feel this way for anyone else… but me."

I force my wet sleeve to my mouth trying to cover another sob. The plastic bag in my hand thumps against my chest. I force my eyes to look into the crimson ones, the emotion hidden in them all this time finally revealed. He may not know what it is, but I do.

"Rei," His wet jacket clad arms spread out in front of him. "Come here."

The umbrella and crepe fall to the pavement as I sprint forward. The rain is pelting me again. I nearly slip, a combination of the rain and my tears being at fault, before I fall into the arms I've wanted to hold me for so long. My arms wrap tightly around his waist. One of his arms is secured around my shoulder while he has his other hand buried in my hair. My head fits snug under his chin. I knew it… I knew we fit together.

I sob into his chest as he holds me tighter. I can feel his cheek rest on top of my head. All I can feel is him. His arms, his chest, his back, and now his hands on my cheeks. He forces me to look into his crimson eyes as I continue to cry. Any other person would think that he's not feeling anything right now because of his stoic appearance. But I know better.

"Rei, I'll never make you cry again."

"Liar… I'm s-so happy… I'll be crying for th-the rest of my life."

The last thing I hear is a throaty chuckle before his lips take mine.

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

"Paris?"

I like being warm. Nice and warm and _clean_ in a cotton shirt on a big, comfy bed in Kai's house. That last part is especially nice. He brought me inside to take a hot shower (by myself, mind out of the gutter), gave me a pajama shirt and shorts to wear and has taken a hot shower himself. We are now sitting in his room where he has revealed his future plans to me, which include…

"Why Paris?"

Kai turns his computer chair around to face me. He is only in a pair of pajama pants and his sexy glasses by the way. Let me just take this in for a moment…

"Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world." Makes sense.

If you're confused, Kai is planning to move his business to Paris now. Tala and Bryan were right. After being screwed by 109-2 he doesn't want to stick around. I continue to dry my mess of hair with Kai's towel. My towel became too wet too quickly so I switched when Kai was done. I drape the towel completely over my head, blocking my view, and rub vigorously at my hair. Dry damn you!

A set of new hands bat mine away and pull the towel away from my face. Kai, unfortunately without his glasses, continues to dry my hair at a gentler pace. My eyes become heavy and I feel my body slump from the soothing sensation. Really, how could my life become so amazing? I was just a college student, ex-Bladebreaker, part-time food seller. Now, I have the love of my life, more fashion and leadership experience than I could ask for, and the love of my life! Said love of my life is also drying my hair as he kisses my neck sensually while straddling my waist…

When did I end up on my back?

"Rei." No, shut-up. Keep kissing. "Come with me… to Paris."

He says this while he pulls one of my bare legs against his waist. How am I supposed to answer like this?… What did he say again?

"Rei."

"Mmm."

"Will you?" This time he stops all fondling and looks me dead in the eye. Now I have to answer.

I bring my arms up and drape them loosely around his neck, pulling him down just a little bit closer. Once our noses are barely touching I give him a warm smile. "Of course."

His lips come down to meet mine. The kiss is just as sweet as our first. It seems so long ago now. That innocent kiss in the office. Soon that office will be moved to Paris. We will have to live in a completely new country… that speaks a completely different language… and I'll have to go to a completely different school…

I pull my lips away from his enough to speak. "Say, Kai?"

"Hm?" His lips return once again to my neck, but I'm not thinking about that right now. Something more important has come to mind. Curse you living conditions. Why can't you let me enjoy my time with Kai?

"Where are we going to live? And where will I go to school?"

Kai grunts before he leans back on his heels. The bed bounces at the motion causing some pretty dirty thoughts to spawn in my head. To add to the filth already floating around in my brain, Kai slouches forward, which causes his abs to put on a show, as he takes my legs and rests them on his thighs. "We can live anywhere we want, most likely in the city. There are a few quality schools you can choose from."

He pauses his actions and stares at me through his bangs. It is then that I realize what I must look like: flushed, panting, and absolutely sex-deprived. He smirks before leaning forward again to brush his lips against my ear. "Tu dois apprendre le francais aussi."

God that was hot.

His lips seek out mine again in another sweet kiss. A little too sweet. I hook my ankles behind his back and wrap my arms around his neck tightly. He gets the hint and his lips push a little bit more until we are kissing like we were back at the photo shoot. Remember? When I ran into an empty room to get away from Bryan and…

"Kai?"

He sighs loudly and his head falls to rest on my shoulder. I stroke his hair gently as an apology for interrupting again. "Will Tala and Bryan be going to Paris, too?"

He doesn't answer right away. He doesn't answer at all. Instead he goes about fondling and kissing like I didn't ask anything to begin with.

"Kai?"

He continues to kiss my neck and bring his hand higher up my leg, probably trying to distract me… Don't tell me those Russian bastards are going too!

"Kai, are they?"

"… Yes."

"Kai!"

'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'The End *.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'+'-.*.-'

_Next Chapter: haha ah just kidding sorry :P_

_WOW it's over! it's the end! I can't believe it! ah i really did cry a bit xD_

**_a request if i may:_**_ if you (yeah i'm talking to you!) would be so kind as to leave a review about the whole story~_

_It would be most appreciated! I love you all and thank you so so so much!_

_until next story ~k. suga_


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